To my friends, family, and anyone willing to listen,

I’m reaching out with a humble and hopeful heart. As many of you know, I serve in the U.S. Navy, currently stationed in Japan—a long way from my 16-year-old daughter in Dallas, Texas. While I’ve always tried to provide and protect, right now my daughter needs me in a way I can only fulfill with your support.

My daughter has courageously opened up to me about her life back home. She told me she wants to come live with me, but more heartbreakingly, she shared how her high school experience is slipping away: she isn’t allowed to join sports, attend school events, or even spend time with friends. Instead, she spends her nights watching her younger siblings while her mom works. She cries, saying she wishes for the opportunities and stability her sisters here with me already have.

As her father, it breaks me not to be able to fix this immediately. I’ve fought before for shared custody, a battle that left me in debt, but now she’s asking for my help, and I can’t let her down.

I need to hire a family lawyer to petition the court for custody, so she can have the joyful, balanced life every teenager deserves. Legal fees are steep, and I need to cover a retainer and pay down previous debts from earlier custody efforts.

If you’re able to contribute, (whether it’s $5 or simply sharing this message) you’re helping give my daughter a chance at the childhood she’s missing. Thank you for your kindness, your prayers, and for standing with us.

With gratitude,

[A Father Serving Far From Home]