My dad came home from the lawyer’s office, and came right over to me. "When I die you will get everything!" I was stunned, not used to hearing about my father's mortality. He smiled, sensing my discomfort, "You will get everything. I just wanted you to know". My father had remarried later in life. Dad and his new wife had an agreement, generally she would will what she owned to her 3 children, and my father would will his possession's to me, his only child.

My father Brad was a proud man who was a veteran of the Korean War. He was a good Christian man who had a strong sense for what was right. Dad never cheated on mom, even when she was bedridden from cancer. After mom died he took on extra work to pay off her medical bills. Dad saw things in black and white, yet, he was a meek man, who really stood up for himself. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and people gravitated toward him at parties.

Years later, dad and my stepmother moved from Upstate N.Y to Orlando Florida. Dad suffered a major heart attack, and the doctors were amazed that he lived. Due to a lack of oxygen my father had suffered brain damage, and had dementia. My aunt, (his sister), and I rushed down to Florida to be with him for awhile. He didn't know the year, the president, or the state he was in. I used up all my vacation time at work to be with him. Dad soon suffered a mild stroke, which made his dementia even worse.

I called down to Florida almost every week. I was often told by my stepmother that dad was "getting better". "Getting better"? Dad was still confused, and had to be reminded many times that his parents had passed away. He once relayed a story about how he and my step mother were riding in a car, when they spotted his mother walking by the side of the road, and gave her a ride. When I reminded him that grandma was dead, he said, "I know, it was a miracle, God raised her from the dead!" My father’s dementia was obviously getting worse.

Around this time Nicole, a kind of family member, who lived near by took over my father’s life. She had dad sign papers making her Power of Attorney, and papers to change the will. Dad owned a house that was in his name, he paid for it himself. It was willed to me, and worth about $65,000. Nicole had taken advantage of dad's dementia, and had everything changed. Even though my Aunt Katie and I called Florida every week from New York, no one mentioned the change of the will, or Nicole having Power of Attorney. It was all kept very secret from us.

Aunt Katie and I flew down to Florida when dad passed away.  We went for his funeral, and the reading of the will. We both thought that we would sit down with Nicole, and make funeral arrangements. As it was, Nicole had arranged everything, and we had to rush over, or miss my father's funeral. We would come to call it a "shot gun" funeral because it was so quick, and half hazard. Nicole took pictures of everyone inducing my father’s corps which we thought was odd, if not morbid. It was so fast that very few people had shown up. Nicole never shed a tear. She acted like she was at a picnic.

When the will was read, Aunt Katie, and I found out for the first time that the will had been changed. I was supposed to inherit the $65,000 house, but everything was changed by Nicole. I was shocked! It had been my father’s intention to give me his house. My inheritance was stolen! I felt as if I had been raped. My Aunt was overcome, and had a spell that night. She felt light headed, and very cold in the Florida heat. I had to turn off the A/C, and put a blanket over her, and make sure she was all right. She would have several spells since that day. That would be her first.

What was even worse then being cheated out of my inheritance, was that Nicole knew that my father was dying, and never told us about it until it was too late. At the reading of the will, Nicole mentioned in a casual manor, that my father had not been eating much for the last month or two, and was on Hospice care. He was living on soup, and pudding. Yet, Nicole didn't tell me how bad dad was until his final few days on earth. Aunt Katie and I could not get to Orlando in time to say our goodbye's to him. Above all things, that hurt the most! We never got to say goodbye.

I hired a lawyer who said that "fraud" had been committed by Nicole that we could sue, and win the case. However, he just sat on his hands, and let time pass. He was in Orlando, and I was now back in Upstate N.Y It didn't matter how many times I called him, or wrote to him, he did very little. So I got another lawyer. The new lawyer said that too much time had passed, and paper trails had grown cold, also that dad's doctor didn't want to testify. He said that if I sued I would need to hire another lawyer along with him, and that would be out of my own pocket costing $5,000 to $10,000 just to start off. I didn't have any money. My father was not the type to stand up for himself, and I am the same way. It was hard for me to believe that the one time I stood up for both my father, and myself, that I would not be able to. I didn't have enough money to sue, and it looked like a loosing case. I thought that God would help me to win. It was hard to take my lawyer's bad news.

I have been working as an Aide for about 20 years. I don't make much money, even though I enjoy helping people. I guess I am what they call, "The working poor". I graduated from a non accredited 3 year Bible College in the early 1980's. Years ago when I tried to go on to more college, none of my credits were accepted. I could go back to college now because a local school will take the credits, but I don't have the money. Like many I have used credit cards to help me get by, pay for groceries, car repairs, etc., so I am in debt.

I ask anyone reading this to please pray for me. That $65,000 that my father intended me to have would have been life changing! If you feel led, please feel free to make a donation. I would appreciate it since I have many bills to pay now. Plus, I still long to go back to college so I can get a better paying job. I want to continue helping others by continuing to work in the Health Care field. I am interested in Occupational Therapy, and Speech Pathology.


Written by Jessica

P.S. This is a based on a true story however, names, and locations have been changed. Ten percent of all donations will go to charity.