I am a mother fighting for both my future and my son’s.
On September 4th, I am scheduled to leave Bermuda to further my education in mental health nursing. This is a dream I’ve worked years to achieve. I’ve been a community support worker, and I want to do even more for those I serve. That’s why I’ve sacrificed, studied, and prepared for this next chapter.
I wanted to take my 13-year-old son, who TNN News chose not identify for legal reasons, with me. His father and I are in full agreement. We believe that the UK offers my son more opportunities, stability, and crucial healthcare support. Glasses in Bermuda cost $500, but in the UK they would be free. He would also have access to insurance, therapy, and a strong school environment with the resources he needs. I prepared everything for him: a two-bedroom apartment, school enrollment, therapy services, transportation, and a plane ticket. His father even wrote and signed a letter giving his full consent.
But then everything was turned upside down.
My son suddenly said he didn’t want to go. He gave no explanation—just that he didn’t want to. My parents seized on this, went to the Supreme Court, and obtained an order preventing me from taking him. I was not told about the hearing. I was not allowed to present my side. I only found out when a letter arrived at my home on August 29th, just days before my scheduled departure. Below is the letter from the Supreme Court of Bermuda:
1. On an interim basis, the Applicants shall be granted sole custody and sole care and control of the child.
2. The Respondent shall be prohibited from removing the child from the jurisdiction.
3. The Respondent shall be prohibited from applying for a Bermuda passport for the child.
4. The Joint Intelligence Unit shall be notified by the Supreme Court Registry of paragraphs 2 and
3 above and shall be provided with a copy of this order.
5. The Department of Child & Family Services shall prepare a report as it relates to the Respondent and her ability to eare for the child and shall submit their report into court.
6. The Respondent shall be prohibited from attending the Applicants’ residences or the child’s school.
7. A Litigation Guardian shall be appointed to the child and shall prepare a report on the views of the child and shall submit their report into court.
8. An inter-partes hearing shall be set down administratively within two weeks from the date of this order and a Notice of Hearing shall be sent out to the Applicants attorney.
At this hearing, consideration shall be given to any variation to the terms of this order and further consideration shall be given to any directions in relation to the substantive application for an order that the Applicants shall have sole custody and sole care and control of the child, as well as consideration shall be given to any other reports and/or intervention required ECE agencies.
This is devastating to me. I have been the sole provider for my son for 13 years. I’ve clothed him, fed him, housed him, and even paid for him to attend private school. My parents have never provided for him. In fact, they have actively undermined me for years.
I grew up in a family torn by conflict. My grandmother and my mother didn’t speak for over 30 years. That generational curse has continued, with my mother now targeting me. She openly tells my children that she hates me. She has reported me to Family Services in the past, but every investigation was dismissed because my home is safe, filled with food, and suitable for my children. I have references in the community who will testify that I am a loving and responsible mother.
Yet despite this, my parents were able to block me from leaving with my son. They have no steady income—my mother lost her job, and my father is about to retire. They cannot afford his school fees, medical needs, or even his glasses. Still, the court accepted their petition, leaving me to ask: How can grandparents override the wishes of both parents without proof of unfitness, without a hearing, without evidence?
This feels less like a custody matter and more like a deliberate attempt to stop me from advancing my education and improving both my life and my son’s future.
I am not giving up. I plan to appeal. But time is against me—I leave on the 4th of September which is tomorrow, while the court will not hear me until two weeks later. Do I go alone and risk leaving my son in an unstable situation? Or do I delay my education, after all the years of work and money I have poured into this opportunity?
I share my story not just for myself, but for every mother who has been silenced, blindsided, or undermined by systems that fail to hear our voices. I am a mother. I am a provider. I am a student. I am a fighter. And I will not stop until my son’s best interests are truly honored.
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