Starting over for Mom and Son

I know it is asking a lot for you to help, I really do, and I appreciate it more than you can understand. It is hard to reach out, but this isn’t about just me. It is about my son, who deserves two happy and healthy parents – even though they live apart – and a home of our own for which he can grow up and make many new, unforgettable memories.

My name is Jessica Pegg. I am a 40-year-old special education teacher, a single mom to a wonderful 7-year-old boy, a cancer survivor, and a survivor of domestic abuse. While I spent years in an abusive relationship to keep our family together, my decision to leave with my son was immediate when my ex brought another woman and illegal drugs to our family home. The woman was 21 years old, transgender, and relying on my ex as a means of housing, intimacy, and a way to get drugs. When she began speaking to me of what transpired between them, and she professed her fear of him, I took her to a homeless shelter in the middle of a snowstorm to ensure her safety.

I did not know the depth of what I had undergone until much after I'd left the home we'd shared for nearly seven years together with our son. I'm fortunate to have been blessed with an empathic, compassionate, kind, talented, funny, and intelligent son. My son is the only thing I saved from our home together as my ex moved without notice. He took everything I'd collected since becoming an adult; all my housewares, decorations, furniture, appliances, and even our son's toys and clothes. I paid for my ex’s cell phone so he could be in contact with his son after our separation, and I paid to get his electricity turned on in the middle of the heat of summer. The abuse worsened after my ex realized I would not give him any more financial assistance.

When my ex threatened to take my son away from me, I was forced to retain a lawyer. I was granted temporary emergency custody of our son as he tested positive for illegal drugs. We reached a settlement agreement, and I even paid for his drug test to satisfy the court order. Since this, he has cost me over $15,000 in lawyer fees, taken all my belongings, left our shared house in such sad shape that my deposit was lost, kept my car for over a year and returned it in undrivable condition. I've been paying legal fees for over a year and a half, but I'm still receiving threats of future court battles for any reason he can muster. Harassment and slander of me have led to my being granted a protective order from him.

I could have tried to represent myself, but I know I would have given in to him and lost my son to stop his constant abuse. My family helped with the lawyer's retainer and have let me stay with them, but they can only do so much financially. I am trying to start over with a home for my son and me and to take care of the debt my ex left me. I spend my summers working a second job that allows me to still be with my son. I want him to enjoy his childhood and not just remember the pain of it.