Alaina is urgently looking for a lawyer who can help with her appeal, pro bono. If you're qualified to practice law in North Carolina and can help, shoot me an email at Shelby.Knox@Change.org.
From: "Shelby Knox, Change.org" <mail@change.org> 
Dear Joan,
Alaina Giordano was diagnosed with breast cancer three and half years ago. That was bad.
This is worse: On April 25th, a judge in North Carolina used Alaina's cancer as a key reason to transfer custody of her 5-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter to her ex-husband (a man Alaina describes as "abusive" and who lives more than 700 miles away).
This is happening even though Alaina says her kids "know that I have cancer, they know that I go for treatment once a month now, they know that it's stable. They know me as mom, and it doesn't affect our daily life."
She has just two weeks to appeal, and her hope is that a huge outcry from the public and local elected officials can help reverse the decision.
Thankfully, that outcry is growing quickly. A petition started by Alaina's sister Lauren has more than 7,000 signatures, Alaina was interviewed on Good Morning America and the Today Show, and media throughout North Carolina and the U.S. are now covering the injustice.
But time is short, and the wrong outcome here sets a dangerous precedent for mothers and fathers with cancer or other serious diseases. Please sign Lauren's petition asking that Alaina Giordano's breast cancer not be used as a reason to take away her kids:
Thanks for taking action,
- Shelby and the Change.org team
P.S. Alaina is urgently looking for a lawyer who can help with her appeal, pro bono. If you're qualified to practice law in North Carolina and can help, shoot me an email at Shelby.Knox@Change.org.
