“There is light, even after the darkest nights.”

There were nights I cried until I had nothing left. Mornings where I had to force myself to stand, to breathe, to keep going — even when everything inside of me was breaking.

I felt lost in a system that made me feel like a criminal, like my love didn’t count, like my voice wasn’t strong enough to be heard. I walked into courtrooms with trembling hands and hope hanging by a thread. I faced judgment, fear, and moments where giving up seemed easier than facing another day of this fight.

But I didn’t give up.

I researched. I prayed. I advocated. I held on. Even through the silence. Even through the false accusations. Even when they tried to convince me it was over — I kept fighting.

And today, my child is home.

There is no greater feeling than holding your child after being forced apart by a system that tried to label you as unworthy. No words can describe the power of that moment — the tears, the healing, the restoration.

To every parent still in the trenches: do not quit. Your love matters. Your fight matters. You are not alone. Let my journey remind you — reunification is possible. There is hope, and your child is worth every step of this battle.