Native mom turns her combat for her daughter in custody court docket into serving to different households | Information Headlines

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) — Stephanie Link has been fighting for years to regain custody of her daughter. Since 2018, News 4 Investigates has been pursuing its efforts to challenge the family court system. A challenge that became more difficult because it had to fight it in two states.

“I was between the two places. I was between Missouri and Illinois, “said Link.” I went back and forth. “

When Link left her daughter’s father in 2014, they were living in Illinois. She then moved back to St. Charles County, where the first custody case was filed. She originally received custody, but that changed as the process progressed.

Link admits that she was not in the best mental health during her first custody battle due to trauma from a previous abusive relationship. “I was diagnosed with PTSD because I went through it,” she said.

Her daughter’s father now has custody and she can see her daughter four days a month. While continuing to struggle for a different arrangement, she has made other big changes in her life: She is now an advocate for others who are going through a similar trauma.

Link is now a violence and crisis intervention specialist for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. She describes it as follows: “I stand up for children and women who are victims of violence. This is my job now. “She now supports all Lincoln County police forces and has been admitted to a specialty training program with the FBI. This training is planned for this summer.

While her life is currently in a very different place than it was a few years ago, she says she wouldn’t be where she is today without the help of another mother who has dealt with tragedy in her own life. When it was lowest, Link began volunteering with the Megan Meier Foundation. This foundation was founded in 2007 by Tina Meier after her teenage daughter committed suicide due to cyber bullying.

Meier spoke about it when she met Link for the first time and said: “She really had problems and I think our connection came about because I am a mother and I lost my daughter.”

As Link continues to fight for a fairer custody agreement and deals with family courts in two states, she will not stop fighting for other families who are going through trauma. “I just want to raise awareness that this stuff is everywhere in our communities,” she said.

If you or someone you might know is a victim of a domestic attack or for more information on family support after violence, contact Stephanie Link at [email protected]

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