My Goddaughter Aysha lives with her Mum, Step-Dad, Sister and Brother. But she doesn’t have the same name. The man she has called Dad for the past 7 years doesn’t have any legal rights in regards to his eldest child. But he has taken responsibility for all of the financial and emotional issues that comes with raising his daughter, who is now a pre-teen.

Aysha has asked the court to allow her Dad to adopt her. She wants to feel like she belongs, she wants to feel safe and secure within her family. The family that makes her feel loved, wanted and welcome. The process started 4 years ago, shortly after her little sister was born; after she asked her male biological parent if she could change her name so that she could share the same name as her sister and he said “No! I owe you, you are mine.”

He has brought his ‘First’ wife over from Turkey along with her two older brothers. Her youngest Brother was born here. They have made a home here. But that home doesn’t include Aysha. When she used to go and she her male biological parent they would all talk Turkish, which they know she doesn’t speak or understand. Her day out with her Dad was the family weekly shopping trip. She doesn’t stay over as there isn’t a bed for her, never mind her own room. He stopped contributing to her birthdays when the man she now calls Dad came into her life. He gave her mum 1-day notice that he wasn’t going to honour the promise of contributing to her party; but the boyfriend of 5 months came to the rescue and supported this little girl.

The summer of 2016 saw the last contact the male biological parent had with his daughter. Now he will cross the road rather than walk past her. If he does walk past her, he completely ignores her. There are no more Birthday or Christmas Cards or presents. There are no letters. There is nothing. She has no contact with him. But he will not agree to the adoption. She is his possession and no-one will have her but him or the man he has threatened to marry her off too.

The adoption process has been a 4 year nightmare and continues to be so.

The male biological parent refuses to take legal advice because he doesn’t wan to spend any money so the court has been footing all of his bills. Sorry not the court, Taxpayers. The Court Appointed Guardian has been giving him legal advice to him. Her last contact with her charge was July 2018. There has been 2 court sessions since then and 1 pending. But no sign of the Guardian.

Aysha’s parents are paying their way. Her Nanny has re-mortgaged her home to help pay the fees. They are selling everything they can, to help clear the legal fees. They have maxed out credit cards and got loans out. Sadly, though the legal fees keep mounting. The Barrister has to be paid upfront. They get charged every time the Guardian changes her mind and writes and rewrites her report; twice in less that 2 weeks. They were also being charged for the letter that their solicitor was sending to the Male biological parent.

No decision has been made due to misfiled paperwork, the male biological parent not turning up and the judge not being present. Aysha is extremely stressed by the whole process. She is disillusioned and dishearten by it all. The whole family is exhausted by it all. Her parents are worried that they are going to let their daughter down. If a decision is not made at the next session then they just simply can’t afford to continue. By no fault of their own, they find themselves stuck in this position feeling useless and helpless. Desperate for other to do their job and get on with it.

So, this is where you come in. Please can you help these loving parents keep their daughter safe. Help them give Aysha a sense of belonging so she can share the same name as her family and her Daddy can protect her in the eyes of the law. Please don’t let her down the way the legal system is. The money goes to paying legal fees with the Solicitor and Barrister. Then paying Nanny’s new mortgage.

Please help my Goddaughter Aysha