Please Help Tahnie Reunite With Her Daughter

October 19, 2024, Update:

Tahnie is unable to work because she lives with the incredibly rare terminal illness Cystinosis. She is now being required to pay a minimum of $1,500 a month to see her daughter and continue the fight to bring her back home to her. Any support is needed and greatly appreciated.

February 17, 2024 UPDATE:

Tahnie saw her daughter Sookie on December 28, 2023, in a therapy session. The therapist stated that she wanted to immediately start weekly sessions between Tahnie and her daughter. However, Sookie’s father has been ignoring attempts from the therapist’s office to schedule more appointments.

Please meet my friend, Utahna (Tahnie), and her 13 year old miracle daughter Sookie. For the first 12 ½ years of Sookie’s life, Tahnie was her primary caregiver and primary supporter of Sookie’s dreams of competitive dancing.

As of August 24th, 2023, Tahnie has not seen her daughter since December 20th, 2022 at her mother’s funeral. Tahnie has been fighting for her daughter’s safety since November of 2017. She has drained her savings and endured hideous financial abuse from Sookie’s father for several years now.

Let’s rewind 6 years now…

Tahnie and Sookie’s nightmare with the Utah courts began in November of 2017 when Sookie's father filed for full custody after Sookie was refusing to see him and telling Tahnie and other family and friends that she was scared of him. When her father would come over, Sookie would run and hide. Sookie begged for him to leave. Every visit resulted in Sookie sobbing and telling her father to leave her alone. Seven months prior to this, in April of 2017, Sookie’s father had kicked both Sookie and Tahnie out of their family home so that his mistress could move in.

In late 2020, Tahnie filed a motion for continuance asking that the court provide her with adequate time before trial to find a new attorney or prepare a pro se case. Denied. She filed a continuance motion because her grandfather was placed on hospice and Tahnie needed to assist her mother with his care. This was also denied.

In December 2020, Judge Barry Lawrence granted full custody to Sookie’s father, despite the fact that Sookie was still refusing to go with him, and had not spent an overnight with him in 3 ½ years because of her terror around him.

In January 2021, Sookie's father’s lawyer, Ron Wilkinson, convinced the judge to sign a writ of assistance that gave the police the power to forcibly remove Sookie from her mother and take her to her father. Tahnie did not find out about the hearing that allowed this due to the fact her grandfather passed away on January 9th, 2021.

In April of 2021 Sookie confided in her trauma therapist that her father had strangled her in October of 2020.

Did you know that victims of strangulation are 750% more likely to be murdered?

(Statistic source via the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention)

Ron Wilkinson, father’s attorney, sent a cease and desist letter to the trauma therapist who Sookie disclosed her abuse to. Sookie has not been able to see that therapist since then.

In May of 2021, Tahnie was court ordered to take Sookie to the ER for a “suicide evaluation” because Sookie was threatening suicide if she had to go live with her father full time. Once again, Sookie confided in the ER crisis worker about her father strangling her in October 2020. Sookie was released from the hospital to her mother's care.

THREE CPS cases were filed and dismissed in large part due to Ron Wilkinson convincing them that Sookie was being coached by her mother.

In June of 2021, during a private session Tahnie was not allowed to be a witness to, the GAL, Daniel Eyre, gave (then) 11 year old Sookie an ultimatum that she had one week to decide if she was going to a mental institution or going to live with her father full time.

Furthermore, GAL Daniel Eyre, lied repeatedly in a motion he filed in September 2022, falsely claiming Tahnie had said she was going to attempt to take Sookie out of state.

On September 7th, 2022 Salt Lake City police enforced the writ and ripped Sookie away from her mother to force her to go to her father's house. Up until this point, for the entire 12 ½ years of her life, Tahnie was Sookie’s primary care parent and primary attachment figure. Sookie was not allowed to grab personal belongings, clothes, a stuffed animal for comfort, absolutely nothing. She was forced into a car and taken away.

Tahnie was not permitted any contact with Sookie, nobody would return her calls or even confirm if Sookie was alive.

October 2022, Tahnie began seeing a“court approved” therapist after being told she would be able to see her daughter if she complied.

In late October 2022, Tahnie's mother was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and given only a few months to live. Sookie wasn't permitted to see her grandmother until November 10th, 2022. Sookie was Pam’s only grandchild. The two shared a strong bond; Pam was a second mother to Sookie. Tahnie was not permitted to be there to provide Sookie any support or comfort. The visit took place at Daniel Eyre's office. Sookie's grandmother was then allowed a supervised zoom call with Sookie in early December and a forever goodbye visit on December 11th 2022. The reunification therapist, Michelle Jones, and GAL, Daniel Eyre, once again refused to allow Tahnie to be present for Sookie and insisted on a supervised visit. Tahnie's mother passed away December 14th, 2022.

Tahnie was finally able to see Sookie in person at her mama’s celebration of life services on December 20th, 2022. Once again, Daniel Eyre and Michelle Jones insisted this be a “supervised visit”. Tahnie had a supervised zoom call with Sookie on January 25th, 2023. They discussed having a family birthday party and she was very excited.

A hearing was held on January 30th, 2023 and Tahnie was granted a birthday visit. Sookie turned 13 on Wednesday February 1st. She has yet to be given a birthday visit or a date for a party. The judge hasn’t signed the orders yet. Sookie's father is insisting Sookie wants another “supervised” zoom call ($150) before the party but Tahnie does not believe Sookie is the one requesting this and her father didn't bring it up in the most recent hearing.

Sookie sent Tahnie an email on Friday February 3rd, 2023 stating that she loves and misses her mom. At the end of February, 2023, Tahnie was able to fundraise the retainer to hire an incredible attorney.

Sookie continues to email voice notes to her mother saying how much she misses her and loves her. Michelle Jones, the “reunification therapist” refuses to provide any dates for zoom calls between Tahnie and Sookie.

The birthday party visit that was court ordered and granted in February of 2023 has still not happened due to the fact Sookie’s father will not cooperate with the court orders and continues to withhold Sookie from seeing her Mother.

Tahnie is in limbo, unable to receive the visits she's supposed to be allowed to have, at the mercy of Ron Wilkinson, Daniel Eyre and Michelle Jones and being bled dry financially. She has depleted her savings and needs support to keep fighting for her miracle baby.

Tahnie has never been convicted of any crimes, she has a Bachelor of Science in Child Development, she is a warm and nurturing mother, she does not drink, or smoke or engage in illegal substances. She does not receive any disability despite the fact she qualifies due to the extremely rare health obstacle she lives with, Cystinosis. Tahnie is fighting extremely hard for her daughter and hustling for everything she can!

Every donation counts. Every little bit will help. Please consider helping Tahnie continue to fight for her daughter Sookie.