'I don't even really know where to start, as having a child in prison is just so hard to grasp. It’s so much easier to push it to the back of your mind and pretend all is well. Then every now and then reality hits home. The pain can be so bad at times that you feel as though your heart is twisting into huge big knots. The fear, the feeling of helplessness, any parent would know that as a parent you protect and love your child no matter what. Now, all we can do is love Jody, be there for him, and do anything and everything in our power to help get him out of Bangkwang prison. The waiting for each and every court case has been such a tester for us.

We try so hard not to get angry as anger gets you no where. But how do we suppress our anger when we know our child is sitting in prison an innocent young man, with his whole life ahead of him - a beautiful young baby boy waiting for his Daddy to come home and do all the things that only a Dad can do. How can a person be put in prison because of what another person said? Surely there should be at least a little bit of evidence of his guilt and not just the word of the woman who was manufacturing the drugs. Even when she retracted her claim (that it was Jody and Kristin who were manufacturing the drugs,) that was totally ignored at their second court hearing. But Jody, he is just such a shining example to us all - he has faced up to the whole situation with such courage and has had to grow up very quickly. He went is there as a young man of 24 - a people pleaser - ready to believe anything and every thing that he was told, his only crime!

His partner Kristin was also imprisoned. She was 8 months pregnant at the time and gave birth to a beautiful little baby boy in January 2002. Ryan now lives with us and what a joy he is. Every time we look at him we just feel so overwhelmed with love and so grateful to God for allowing us to take care of this beautiful child of His - a little bit of Jody and Kristin in our home.

We have had to ask time and time again, why did this happen - where did we go wrong? Who is to blame - why did this happen to two beautiful young people like Jody and Kristin who were about to start a family of their own? How and where do we find answers? What made the couple manufacturing the drugs try and put all the blame on to Jody and Kristin? If we hadn't had come in and got Jody his own lawyer this is exactly what would have happened as the other two were trying their hardest to convince Jody and Kristin to take the fall for all four of them - and Jody and Kristin in all their innocence were at one time going to do just that - what trust.

I love my son, and even if he had done something wrong and deserved to be in prison, I would still love him with all my heart - he is a very special person and anyone and everyone that has met him, agrees with me. He is, and always will be, my beautiful son and of whom I am so proud of. If there is anyone that can help and assist us in anyway to get Jody home, please contact us - we have a wonderful faith in our Heavenly Father, and in Him we put all our trust and that is too, where all our hopes lies.’

Kay Danes
Advocate
Foreign Prisoner Support Services
http://www.foreignprisoners.com
Email: kaydanes@foreignprisoners.com

Or alternatively, you can write directly to Jody Aggett.

Mr. Jody Ryan Aggett
Building #2
Bangkwang Central Prison.
117 Nonthaburi Road, Suan Yai,
Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.