Help Betsy Worrell Restore Electricity before June 25 Trial

I don’t really know how to even ask this. I’m so embarrassed but I am truly struggling and at the end of my financial rope. So I will just come straight out with it. My name is Betsy Worrell, I’m 42 years old, and I have two beautiful daughters, Ella Grace 11yrs old, and Evan Elizabeth 8 yrs old. We lost my husband in 2019 and I have been battling his family since 2018 in a very long heartbreaking custody battle. It has essentially ruined me financially with me trying to fight to keep custody… I have been without a lawyer this past year when attempts at getting custody started again last June. I have had to file bankruptcy twice and it was dismissed in January because I couldn’t keep up w the payments due to my lupus. I have gone thru 2 lawyers. And paid ab 15k in legal fees out of pocket, which may not be a lot to some but for a single widowed mother it’s a fortune. I have gone from getting the girls 5 nights biweekly to now only getting them every other weekend from Friday 6pm-Sunday 6pm. I have tried to get legal aid but they only help if there is abuse. I have asked all lawyer friends and most could not help as a result of conflict of interest. I am being forced to represent myself this year due to my financial situation from this ongoing lengthy custody battle. The stress of all this has exacerbated my Lupus Autoimmune Disease to the point I lost my job at Veterans Village this past August. I am only able to currently work thru shift key agency prn which is pretty much self employed and does not take out taxes… Due to my health and unavailable or decreased amount of shifts I am only averaging about 5 12 hour shifts a month w monthly income drastically reduced to $1500-2000. I am trying to get my health under control so that I can get and keep a full time staff nurse position. I am getting monthly lupus infusions of Saphenello in Hartsville and I am on 2 immunosuppressants, one had to be recently stopped and replaced with a different medication bc it was causing extreme vision loss as a side effect. Due to all of this I lost power with Duke energy back in December 2023. I tried and should have gotten it turned back on immediately in December due to medical necessity under the SC Winter Moratorium Duke had, but they would not turn it on. I have tried to apply for the $1500 max assistance that is offered by the Community Action program, but they were extremely rude and would not assist me bc ab $3500 plus a $500 deposit is due on the power to restore power and they needed in writing a written guarantee of how I would pay the remaining 1500 to get power reinstated. I have lost my 2015 toy highlander in January due to repossession when the bankruptcy was dismissed… which I paid ab $2500 to Reed law firm in hopes it would save the house from foreclosure and help w my debt incurred as result of this ongoing custody and my decline in health. I recently by the Grace of God borrowed $ and got a 2000 24 year old suv to drive to be able to get to work in, but it needs repairs and I pray each day I drive it that I just get to where I need to go! Our beautiful home is in the beginning of foreclosure and I just had to go to a final hearing for that on June 6th. I’m awaiting the judge’s ruling this week. I am on the verge of being homeless if foreclosure goes thru but the Judge did grant that if he rules for foreclosure to not be dismissed due to error in them filing that he will grant the max sale date of September 3rd.

The reason I’m swallowing my pride and starting this Gofundme is I have a two day final custody hearing scheduled for June 25-26 full day starting at 930am -530pm which again I will add I am having to defend myself against one of the toughest family court lawyers in this area. I am afraid if I go to court with no power in the home I probably will lose custody of the girls. I have currently bought time with the foreclosure but I must get power restored before that hearing!! I cannot go into court with no power or the judge could possibly rule me as unfit for sure. Which I am not! I love my daughters more than anything and they have never gone without, I’ve always found a way to get what they needed. I am just currently really struggling! I am unable to afford to move at this time so that isn't an option because the cost of rent is so high. I had a 1400 watt inverter generator that I was using the past few months to provide me with enough electricity to run a few lights, the wifi, and power the tankless gas water heater, but last week it died and I do not have any money to replace it so I am sitting in a dark house with no hot water or fans to keep cool and temps are over 90 already. Due to the power being turned off I have to take the girls to my parents duplex or rent an air bnb so that that they have a proper place with power during my visitation. I am at rock bottom and I am desperate. I am ashamed and embarrassed to even ask for help but I cannot lose my children by going to court with no power reinstated. All the money I am currently making has been going to gas mostly to power the inverter generator at about $30-40 every other day just to power a few lights, wifi, 1 small tv, and power the tankless gas water heater, ice for the cooler to keep food in, gas fireplace to heat this past winter, cell phone, and food. By the time I pay daily living expenses I have nothing left to even attempt to pay the powerbill down and get power reinstated. I feel so defeated and depressed and scared. I am starting this go fund me as a last resort to get power cut back on so that the Guardian ad litem can come and verify its on before the upcoming court date on June 25/26. The bill is very high due to the upstairs unit being broken and having to run two window units last year. There were extreme hot days last summer that caused ab 3 months of the powerbill running $500-600 a month. Duke is also requesting a $500 deposit on top of the full amount of the bill to reinstate power. I understand if you cannot help but I am at the end of my financial rope and had to swallow my pride and ask for help. I would appreciate any help I can get to raise the funds to restore power $3628 estimated to restore power, pay $1500 court ordered guardian adlitem fee(with my half of total guardian fees being well over $4000 already) copier costs to prepare for 2 day custody trial, and if I am made to pay any of the other sides legal fees.If anyone knows of a pro bono family custody lawyer that could represent me on June 25/26 that would be a huge blessing as well. Thank you for taking time to read this, And if prayers are all u can give I will gladly take them and any advice or other assistance you have to offer. Anyways please do not feel pressured in any way to help if you are unable… I know everyone is struggling and fighting their own battles. But I had to swallow my pride and start asking for help. I may be temporarily having trouble standing right now because of this 6 yr. custody battle , but I’m a fighter and I will get through this and I will never stop fighting for my kids. May God bless and protect everyone reading this! Thank you!

***see pic of Duke energy account end amount owed, plus a $500 deposit to restore power at 719 s. F

***any extra funds will go towards custody case preparation, and to help support basic needs of my daughters and myself during my Lupus Flares