Dear Dr. Phil,
My family and I are survivors of Katrina, thank the Lord. The thing that saddens me is how many people are committing fraud to get giveaways and or help in the name of being a Katrina "victim," and not just from you and your generosity. We faired, well, fair. Our home is still standing as is our daughter's. My husband, daughter, and myself all evacuated as reccomended. However, our former son-in-law, whom had the monthly custody of our two young granddaughters did not leave. (He committed a fraud in the divorce paper filings and the three and five year old girls have to move from his home to their mother's home EVERY month until we can get into court and pray that a judge will see this for the fraud that it was and correct the situation by giving custody to our daughter. Our November7 court date was postponed because of the Katrina and his lawyer is now in Colorado saying she can't possibly set a new court date before the end of May because it might snow in Colorado and it would make travelling to the Gulf Coast inconvienent for HER.) In fact, he stayed home with the girls, his third child (conceived while married to our daughter) by his current wife who was pregnant and due that day! He refused to allow us to take the girl's to safety. We did not know if the little girls were alive or dead for five days but did know that the area he lived in was hard hit. This man has not payed child support in over a year and refuses to. His $100,000 plus home sustained damage but he has caught the attention and sympathy of a church in Missouri and they are doing fund raisers and plan to come down here and "rebuild" his home. He told these people that his place of business was destroyed and that his boss died in the storm. Neither is true. (The dead boss is fixing our vehichle this very day!) You can read the article in the Joplin Globe in the Nov.24 edition to read of his "Plight." (Dr. Phil, if you want my the name of my ex son in law to help you find the article, I will pass it on to you only.) The pastor that wrote the article is associated with the Assembly of God Church. Anyway, my daughter works full time and tries very hard to get by on the meager income she makes, gets no child support, she pays 100% of the girl's health insurance, and quite simply can not make ends meet without our monthly help. We are rapidly reaching the point of needing help to make ends meet here at our household! Her ex is mean, hateful, as dishonest as they come and is cheating a lot of people in the name of Hurricane Katrina. I wish there was some way I could get my daughter some of the nice "atttention" she deserves for herself and for the beautiful daughters she has. Every day that goes by, a little more of her self worth is beat down and the children are just more confused as they do know that their daddy lies quite often. There are so many lies that I could go on for days and days telling you some of them, but the damage he is doing is going to go on for years and years and I am one worn out and depressed grandmother that will NEVER give up on doing the right thing for my grandchildren and my children. If you have a spare kind word for some very depressed Katrina survivors, we could use them. It is not just this mess with fraud that is going on, but just knowing that we will have to live in this horrible mess that used to be beautiful South Mississippi, and not being able to do for and give the children something more to look forward to than the ugliness that now surrounds their everyday life, both astetically as well as the emotional beating they take, things are just bleak. My heart cries and my emotions are just about completely shot and i don't think I can take the "long haul" sometimes. But, that is life isn't it? Thanks for listening.
Come celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with a special show: The holiday giveaways show! Dr. Phil and Robin bring the magic of the holiday season to an audience filled with families affected by Hurricane Katrina. With a stash of gifts that’s bigger than ever, the pair give Santa a run for his money. Does he mind? Find out for yourself as he arrives on the scene to help Dr. Phil and Robin spread some holiday cheer – plus this season’s hottest gifts. And for the first time, some lucky viewers at home get in on the giveaways with a surprise phone call from Dr. Phil during the show. What will Dr. Phil and Robin be putting under their tree? You won't believe your eyes! Talk about the show here.
