Support Suzann's Legal Battle Against CPS

Suzann Koontz is a survivor of the Hurricane Helene Disaster that ravished Eastern TN, Western NC and many other states in the southeast. As a result of damage to her home, she was temporarily displaced and sought shelter with the Red Cross at a local church in Roan Mountain, TN. After a brief stay with the Red Cross, she was asked abruptly to return to her flooded home which was not suitable living conditions for her son to return to.

Shortly after she returned home, the Department of Child Protective Services came knocking at her door with a barrage of allegations, ultimately leading to her son Benjamin (also known as Bug) being taken into custody by CPS. Benjamin (Benji) is now placed in a foster home two hours away from his mother and has not had any visitation since he was taken.

On top of taking care of Benjamin as a single mother, Suzann also takes care of her disabled mother Kim full-time, who suffers from a variety of health issues. Benjamin receives social security benefits due to his father being deceased, these benefits were counted as Suzann's income and for that reason she was denied state-appointed legal representation (lawyer) by the court's clerk. Suzann now is having to battle this legal situation on her own, with no experience on how to navigate the legal system.

Bug is 8 years old and a ball of energy. Like most kids he loves his legos, his momma, his grandma and especially his precious kitty cat. Suzann and her mother are all Bug has ever known in this life. These two individuals are what home means to Bug. It is very likely that Bug is also on the autistic spectrum, but he has not been officially diagnosed as of yet. Due to this belief, change is especially hard for Bug. Bug is known for having food aversions due to textures and is a very picky eater as a result. His mother and grandmother know how to nourish him best, they understand his needs and know how to keep him comfortable and calm. Suzann has major concerns that her son is not adapting well to being in the care of the state, and is constantly worried about him. She says receiving any information or updates about him is like "pulling teeth".

(How we got here) September 24, 2024 Hurricane Helene ripped through their home in Roan Mountain, TN. Water began to raise from the ground and just kept coming. Startled by what she was experiencing, Suzann took her phone out and recorded a video of the unbelievable flood waters penetrating her neighborhood. Suzann held close to her mother and son as they prayed that they would live through this. As the water receded a neighbor gave them a ride to the local church where they sought temporary shelter with the Red Cross. Her family stayed at the church where the Red Cross was setup approximately a week. The last two days they were at the church, Red Cross employees had began opening cases for all the survivors in order to identify the specific needs each survivor had. Suddenly, after the interviewers obtained personal information from the victims, the Red Cross began informing those housed at the church that they needed to return to their homes, as the temporary shelter was being shut down. Once again, these people were being displaced.

Suzann returned home, two days later CPS arrived at her residence claiming they had received a random complaint about her, and expressed "concerns" about her parenting of Benjamin. They would not disclose who made the accusations...

Suzann needs out support, as the legal system is extremely difficult to navigate alone without the knowledge and experience a lawyer has. Suzann also is having troubles with her 2010 Ford Mustang GT (Hot2Trot) which she is very passionate about working on. We hope to be able to raise enough monetary donations to be able to provide her with competent legal representation BEFORE her preliminary hearing on the 3rd of December, where a judge will decide if she will be re-united with Benji. We also hope to raise additional funds to repair her vehicle, so she can push for visitation with her son over two hours away from his home where he is currently in foster care.

Please, help Suzann by donating today to this Fund, the future of an entire family hangs in the balance!