Support Heather Escaping DV and Preparing for Emmy

Hey everyone,

I think most of you probably know my baby sister is pregnant. Emmerson Sage Thomas is due January 16th, and we can't wait to meet her.

What’s less well known is that her pregnancy has been spent trying to escape domestic violence, rather than preparing for an addition to her family. Extreme verbal abuse, manipulation, financial and physical control were all utilized by her ex and his family to keep her under their thumb. For her to escape the type of situation at all is incredible, but she did it alone on top of that, seizing the chance to leave when it was just her and her ex at an airbnb.

It was months before he and his family cooperated enough for her to be able to get the rest of her belongings back. We drove down to Morrilton the day before her baby shower, where they had piled her things outside their business in the parking lot. Everything was crawling with bugs and extremely filthy. He - and his parents - then refused to return the only two items she owned that were worth any money: her airpods and her nintendo switch. She wanted to sell them to make rent, or she would have said good riddance and left them behind. We had to drive to their home from their store, but when we arrived they barricaded themselves inside. They had set an empty airpods case and her switch without the dock or any of its games outside and continued the verbal abuse via text while remaining locked inside. I’ve included some of those texts and a picture from that day down below, with permission from Heather. (The second text is to me, for context.) There are so many more screenshots I have that it is overwhelming. Having to re-read through them all again to create this – I don’t understand how people become this way. My heart is broken not just for my own sister, but for Emmerson Sage, who deserves so much better than this. Sharing only the pictures from that day, as the others are genuinely too vile.

Whatever money is raised from this GFM goes to Heather's bills and Emmy's needs. Diapers, baby formula, rent, etc - the basic necessities that anyone needs to survive.

Heather Thomas is one of the strongest, and most resilient people I've ever known. Our parents and I have been helping as much as we can, but with a new baby coming into the world soon and her financial standing utterly razed by her ex, she needs all the support we can give her.

Thanks for reading, everyone. My sister deserves the world. I hope the aid she gains from this will help mend hers, at least a little.