My name is Merian Alawadi, and I am David’s mother. I am a single mom who has been raising my son on my own and doing everything in my power to give him a safe, loving, and stable life. I am raising funds to cover legal fees to obtain full custody of my son, so I can protect his safety, stability, and emotional well-being. I left David’s father in 2019 after years of domestic abuse. Leaving was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but I did it because I feared for my life and, even more, for my child’s safety. I walked away with nothing but my son and the determination to protect him. I have witnesses, documentation, and a history that supports my concerns, and I have spent years rebuilding our lives from the ground up. Since the day David was born, I have been his only consistent parent. I have been there for every milestone, every doctor’s appointment, every school meeting, every sleepless night, and every moment he needed comfort or reassurance. David is now eight years old, and the last time he had in-person contact with his father was when he had just turned two. I have provided my son with a loving, stable home surrounded by family, friends, and a strong support system. Unfortunately, his father has been inconsistent throughout David’s life disappearing for months at a time and then briefly resurfacing before vanishing again. David’s father has been in and out of jail for serious offenses, including DUI, domestic abuse, child neglect involving former partners’ children, and theft. I have evidence and documentation to support everything I am stating. Despite this history, I am still required to seek permission for basic parental decisions while carrying the fear of what instability and unpredictability could mean for my son’s safety. This pattern has been deeply confusing and emotionally painful for my son. No child should have to experience that kind of instability. Despite everything I have endured, the years of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse I endured did not end when I left. Even now, the trauma follows me. As a single mother, I carry the emotional weight of protecting my child while living with the constant fear of what could happen if his father suddenly reappears. The anxiety, hypervigilance, and sleepless nights are a daily reality for me. Despite all of that, I never tried to keep David away from his father. I encouraged contact whenever it was Safe and Appropriate because I believe children deserve fairness and honesty. Unfortunately, agreements were repeatedly violated, and ongoing concerns about instability made it impossible for me to trust unsupervised contact. As a mother, my responsibility is to protect my child above all else. This custody situation has begun to affect David emotionally and academically. When contact resumes after long absences, he becomes anxious and distressed. His teachers have noticed changes in his behavior during these periods and have documented their concerns. David has expressed that speaking to someone he barely knows is confusing and upsetting for him, and hearing that as a mother breaks my heart. Because we currently share legal custody, I am unable to make basic decisions for my child things most parents take for granted such as obtaining a passport, traveling to visit family, or planning important life experiences. These limitations affect David’s quality of life and prevent me from fully giving him the stability he deserves. I have already exhausted my savings trying to protect my son and pursue this custody case. I never hesitated to spend what I had when it came to his safety, but I’ve reached a point where I cannot carry this financial burden alone. My attorney has been clear with me: protecting David fully and legally will require continued court involvement, filings, and legal action. The legal costs are overwhelming, but giving up is not an option when it comes to my child.
This is about safety, stability, and finally being able to breathe without fear. I am asking for help so I can remove the power an absent and dangerous parent holds over my child’s life and give David the peaceful, protected childhood he deserves.
I am seeking full legal custody so I can:
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Ensure my son’s safety
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Provide consistency and emotional stability
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Make decisions in his best interest without fear or interference
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Every contribution will go directly toward attorney fees, court costs, and related legal expenses. If you are unable to donate, sharing our story also means more than you know.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting a mother who is doing everything she can to protect her child.
With gratitude,
Merian
