Zia and Stone's fund to fight for justice & peace

Hello Friends and Family of Vanessa Poulos (Neves),

At this time, it has become neccessary for me to initiate further fundraising for the benefit of Zia and Stone. We are asking for your continued support to get us through the last leg of our financial entanglement with family court and probate. I am truly hoping that in the next 6-8 months we are done paying lawyers and can finally enter a phase of less financial stress and more peace of mind.

The kids are thriving and their resilience astonishes me every day! I operate one day at a time and have learned to try not to stress about things out of my control or the future the general, because at the end of the day, the kids deserve to be greeted with smiles and laughter, not fear and stress. My sense of security is monumentally tied to the money raised here, as the kids and I have no access to any funds outside our monthly child support at this time, which is in grave danger, as the defendant is working to terminate child support payments, health care and therapy reimbursement. Once the kid's trusts are finalized, hopefully in the next 5 months, we should be able to receive a monthly allowance from their estate to help pay rent until they are 18yrs old.

In an ideal world, child support would be guaranteed, sentencing would be just, prudent and swift, rent in Northwest Austin would be affordable for a single mother working 40hr weeks and the kids would keep 100% of the funds raised instead it going towards lawyers fighting a case that should be black and white. Unfortunately, the criminal system and the institutions which surround and support them are complex and are written in legalese, where the devil is in the details. I have learned a lot over the last year but know that I could not have navigated this playing field alone, especially against the sophisticated, highly-paid lawyers the defendant has employed.

I am hopeful that we can raise $90,000+ in the coming weeks. Please Help!

Update: The Good Stuff :)

Zia is about to wrap up her 1st year of high school. She is officially a teenager now. Her laughter, singing and dancing fill the house. She has a light within her which refuses to be extinguished. This does not go without saying there are hard days, difficult emotions and tears. Zia is swimming again, which if you know her is a big part of her identity and confidence. This step is huge in her regaining her momentum. I am incredibly proud of the young woman she is becoming, Zia is responsible, empathic and has an amazing sense of humor.

Stone is finishing up 6th grade, his first year in middle school, with straight A’s! He is probably a foot taller than at the start of the school year and jumps a shoe size every few months. Stone is motivated to stay busy, he is either playing football, wiffleball, skateboarding, playing video games, riding his scooter or meeting up with friends after school. Stone has unique intelligence, he easily comprehends knowledge and thinks deeply about complex ideas. His future is bright and his compassion and innate kindness are something we should all strive to achieve in our own lives.

It is very apparent that Zia and Stone are their her mother’s daughter and son and the product of all of Vanessa’s love and years of mothering.

Please help us raise the money needed to continue supporting their needs and especially at this time, for the lawyers who are working to secure their benefits and child support.

Thank you, Tori