Justice for Whitley

Friends……we need your help to save a child.

Tiffany Alaniz has been reporting our story (Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman) since day one. For 22 years we have counted on her. She has became our family over the years and so has her daughter Whitley.

In what has become one of the worst custody battles I’ve ever seen. I won’t go into detail, but because of a child afraid of her father, she agreed to live with him in court last summer. It’s been a horrible situation for her. She has tried to take her own life three times and has self harmed. She has begged to stay with her mom but dad wants to win at all costs. He hates Tiffany and sweet Whitley is collateral damage. So the custody battle continues. When Tiff got Whitley for Christmas, Whitley refused to go back to her dads. Tiffany had previously forced her to go back because of court orders twice….and that’s two of the times she tried to commit suicide and ended up in a hospital again. This time, she promised her she wouldn’t put her thru that. She drove from Tulsa to Joplin every day to have her to school on time. But alas, dad filed kidnapping charges against Tiffany. So now he has something to hold against her. Other than that, she got one DUI charge a few years ago which was very public and ammunition for him. She did not have Whitley when that happened. Nothing else. She is an excellent mother.

Fast forward to Friday. They returned to court. Lorene and myself were present. Whitley got to go into the courtroom and voiced that she wanted to live with her mom. She was told she would be forced to go with dad. I watched this child whom is now 13 beg not to go with him. She said multiple times she did not feel safe with him. They threatened her with jail. She said she’d rather go to jail. For over an hour we stood in a hallway while she kept her little feet wrapped around a chair refusing to go with him. Finally an officer was brought in and they told her to go with her dad or go to juvenile detention. She chose detention. By noon, we had went there with her hoping to see a different judge. Four hours later, they had threatened her with foster care in Saint Louis for a very long time if she wouldn’t go. She chose foster care. It was asked if she could stay with her aunt, dads own sister, and he refused. This father would not bend. Instead of listening to his own child, he laughed! He would stare down mom and smirk at her and wink at her. We even have pictures of him. He was cold and heartless while his child begged for any other option because she did not want to go with him. She told them she would kill herself if she went back to him. Those words got her taken to the hospital for evaluation. Thank God. From there, she was sent to a children’s home. She is still there. The sperm donor, because let’s be clear, this is no dad, would not allow anyone to see her. Finally this afternoon, a family friend was added to a list and able to spend time with her and tonight, Tiffany finally got to see her. She is a little warrior but this is far from over! She needs to be heard.

Something is going on that makes her so afraid. But what? She hasn’t opened up and that answer scares me. He refuses to give her her shoes, her clothes, is denying anything she’s asked. Tiffany spent $5000 in emergency dental work when she got her because her teeth had been neglected for so long. Sperm donor has money and thinks he’s someone important. What kind of monster does this? He is no father!!!!

Whitley deserved to be heard. She deserves to feel safe. Yes, she has a guardian ad litem but I’ll point out she was appointed by the judge. She doesn’t see or talk to Whitley as the law says she should. We won’t even mention the close connections these fine folks have hanging out at a golf course on any given weekend, but know that no one is here for this child.

So we the community need to be. We need to stand together and help Tiffany fight. We need to be the voice for Whitley that will be heard when no one is listening to hers. Please pray with us for #JusticeForWhitley

We need to help Tiffany with attorney fees. We need to help her with housing expenses to keep her close to Whitley while until this is settled and Whitley is safe. Please help!!

Whitley, we are here. We hear you. We love you. We will fight for you.