By Marci Narum
HALOS is an acronym for: Helping Alienated Loved Ones Survive
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Brandy Johnson divorced her husband six years ago. Despite a parent investigator’s report that found “the father does appear to be manipulating the children,” the judge ruled in favor of her ex-husband. He was granted primary residential responsibility of their four children, and Brandy was allowed regular time with her kids, including holidays and six weeks during the summer. Both were to share 100% in decision making. It was a high conflict divorce, though, and since the marriage ended, the children have viciously rejected her and even reported that she is dead.
“For six years, the alienator (ex-husband) has successfully erased me from our beautiful children’s memories. Time was stolen, it cannot be replaced. Once a naturally, loving child-parent relationship, shattered,” Brandy shares.
The Dickinson woman is remarried now and works full-time to raise awareness about parental alienation. This summer, she founded the non-profit organization HALOS Foundation, Inc., whose vision is: For every child, the love and support of both parents, always.
“Parental alienation … is an action by one parent in a high-conflict divorce,” Brandy explains. “It’s always in the best interest of the child to co-parent in the event that you can’t continue to be married to each other, (but) there are some situations in which they can’t co-parent. The kids are forced to choose, they’re brainwashed, and it’s manipulation of the children by one parent to reject the other parent.”
Brandy is on a mission to educate law enforcement, judges, child protective services, mental health professionals, doctors, and school teachers about parental alienation.
“I’m just trying to get the word out there about what parental alienation is and what it does to kids and families,” she says. “This may not ever change my situation, but if it prevents other families from enduring this unbelievable and unbearable pain, then HALOS foundation will have succeeded.”