Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

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Kirk,

I will probably never even understand your level of frustration but I do want you to know that my heart goes out to you two. It really does. You both are kind people and deserve more than this. I hate to hear of your living situation. This does not look like an easy problem to fix. Even from a Social Workers perspective. It seems that you need someone on your side to advocate for you. But who? I dunno. I'm sure you looked into pro bono lawyers and such? It seems that the mom is the best bet but then your right--what will she do and how can she do it? I think legal help is the best thing. Wow. My thoughts are with you. Keep your spirits up, you've always been a strong rock for J

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Do you think any media exposure would help with the problem?It sounds like it would make a good news story & might light a fire under a few uncooperative people.Best of luck!

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Hi, Kirk--I hope you can get some pro bono legal help to help you unravel this absurd snafu.

Maybe somebody already suggested this upthread, but I would also consider contacting your Congresscritter or Senators. They have staff for working on exactly this kind of issue, and particularly since it's a multiple-state problem, it may be something that congressional staff can resolve more easily than a lawyer could.

I worked with immigrants for many years and I can tell you that such human rights issues or humans-caught-in-the-paperwork problems often do go to a representative's office and get resolved there. And more recently, when I have attended our local congressman's town hall meetings, all politics aside, he brings several staff members to each meeting and they stay afterwards helping individuals with problems like this. Our region has a lot of small family farmers, and they get caught in all kinds of ridiculous paperwork problems (and they can't afford lawyers, either) and I have listened to them discussing these problems in detail with attentive staffers.

So I would urge you to contact any or all of these offices and ask to speak to a staffer who can help with this type of problem. It's your right to ask for this help. You'll want to get the problem summarized fairly well before talking with them--that's where some pro bono help locally might be useful to you, getting the problem articulated clearly and succinctly...hard to do when you're in the middle of it yourself.

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Awww...so sorry for your troubles, Kirk! Please add my hugs for you and Jeannette to the others'. And you are obviously warmly welcome here--this is where the NICE folks hang out.

Don't know if this idea might help, but--I seem to recall from days gone by, that if you apply for Food Stamps, or any kind of public assistance (like medical) from your state, they will help you obtain whatever substantiating documents you might need to apply, at their expense. This might work for you even if you don't actually qualify for the help, just from going thru the approval process. Just a thought. Good luck, and hope you will keep us informed!

good idea....you should qualify for some of the programs....I sure wish I could but that would be stretching things a bit. As long as I keep Ed alive, otherwise I would!

Wow, I just read through your posts of the last several days, and I am so sorry to hear the mess you're dealing with. Absolutely amazing that y'all should have to go through this...what a messed up system. I truly hope you get it figured out...soon...

Hi Kirk,
I'm so sorry to hear of this ordeal you're going through. I just wanted to add my 2 cents about contacting your Senator or Congressman. My BF was born out of the country, because his father was in the military. To make a long story short, BF was having a devil of a time getting the proper birth records for a passport, and he went to his congressman's office. The staff cleared it up really quickly.

So, I'm glad to hear that ball is rolling. I'm holding good thoughts for you.

Kirk, afreespirit's idea has possibilities. Since you're in Las Vegas, give a call to the Three Square Food Bank (I work at a food bank here and we have the same help program). They have a program that specifically helps people navigate the Food Stamp (now called SNAP) application process. The guy at my Food Bank is compassionate, thorough and experienced. And she's right--they help all the way through, even if you eventually do not qualify for food stamps. Give them a call: Their phone number is 702-644-3663, and they are at 4910 N. Pecos Rd.

This is such an aggravating and agonizing problem. You can be so proud that you are also able to be losing weight during all this stress! I can't offer any help for the other situation, the fact that you have been selected for abuse by a weird subgroup of cave dwellers. My sympathies over that (I have not taken the hour to go read it yet, but I can imagine the slime oozing from my computer screen).

Keep your head high! (Unless there's an overpass--then duck!)