My son Sean,

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If you are reading this, it means you found your way here on your own. That matters to me more than you may realize.

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I want you to know something clearly and without conditions: I have always loved you. Time, distance, borders, courts, and silence never changed that. Not once.

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Since February 2015, there has not been a single day, month or year where you were absent from my heart or my thoughts. I have watched you grow from afar, knowing that much of what shaped your life happened without my voice present. That has been one of the greatest pains of my life—but it was never a reflection of my love for you, nor my desire to be your father.

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There is something important I want to remind you of—not to reopen wounds, but to honor the truth we shared together.

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Do you remember our video sessions when you were six years old?

Do you remember how carefully I spoke to you, because I never wanted to lie to you?

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Do you remember when I told you I needed to go to Marbella, Spain, to file a Hague petition—to try to return you to your legal home?

 

And do you remember that I also told you something harder: that if the law was abused and that effort failed, I would not be able to return to the United States, and that we could be separated for many years?

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I remember that moment clearly.

I remember your tears.

And I remember your words.

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“Daddy, get me out of here. I don’t want to wait for you for ten years.”

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I want you to know this: I heard you. I never forgot that moment. And nothing about the years that followed changed the truth of it. My worst fear became reality—not because I stopped fighting, but because the system failed us both for more than 7 years. My worst nightmare never stopped since!

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What happened after was not a lack of love, courage, or effort. It was the result of legal systems and decisions that did not center you—or us. You deserved peace, stability, and honesty. If any part of your journey has felt confusing, heavy, or unfair, I see that, and I respect whatever feelings you carry today.

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In August 2026, you turn 18. At that moment, the world will finally recognize what has always been true: you are your own man. You get to choose your path, your relationships, and your future.

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When that time comes—and even before, if you choose—my door is open.

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There is no pressure here.
No expectations.
No rewriting of your story.

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Only an invitation—and your flight ticket.

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If you want to talk, I will listen.
If you want answers, I will be honest.

If you want proof, I have every court document for you to read.
If you want distance, I will respect it.

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And if all you need right now is to know that your father never disappeared, never forgot you, and never stopped loving you—then let this page be enough for today.

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I am here.
I always have been.
I always will be.

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With love,

Your father,

 

Stephan Schurmann

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