u/Vegetable-Stand-3119

"My brother was born in 2001. I’m the second child, two years younger than him, and later my mom had a third son. From early on, my mom noticed something different about my first brother — he struggled to stand up or run compared to other kids, even compared to us younger siblings. By 2009, the signs were bigger: walking on his toes and falling often.

In 2010, my mom started taking him from hospital to hospital. My parents even sold our only house to afford more expensive hospitals, hoping for answers. Instead, most doctors told us to just take him home, that nothing could be done. Some said there was no treatment; others told us not to waste money because he would die young. Some even returned examination fees and sent us away.

Because of this lack of awareness and the way doctors spoke to us, my family turned to traditional fixes and faith. Those methods only caused more damage. My brother died at 19, in June 2020, at home. What hurts me most is that if doctors had simply told us clearly: ‘He has Duchenne muscular dystrophy.' 'There's no cure, but here are resources, guidance, and supportive care,’ we could have prepared and cared for him better. Instead, they threw out one sentence—'he will die young’—which gave us nothing.

Now my youngest brother, born in 2022, is showing the same signs at age 4. I’m 23 now, and I’ve grown up realizing how much damage those hospitals did to us. Pinterest pictures and YouTube videos have given me more awareness and guidance than doctors ever did. That makes me angry, but it also pushes me to share our story.

My oldest brother died in June 2020 from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He lost the ability to walk at 14, and my family—believing they were helping—forced him through painful traditional treatments. They tried to “fix his legs” with burning, pressing, and hard exercises. Instead, it only caused him unbearable pain. I still remember one day when he screamed for help and called my name. I was two years younger, but I had no say in stopping my parents and relatives. He passed away at just 19, after the disease reached his lungs and heart.

Now my youngest brother, born in 2022, is only 4 years old and already diagnosed with the same condition. We’ve realized it was inherited genetically from our mother. I don’t want his life to follow the same path. I want to protect him with knowledge, compassion, and better care — but I’m still living in the same environment, and I carry guilt over what happened to my older brother.

Eleven years ago, my father was living a good life in South Sudan. Business was normal; things were, and he had built something solid for himself and for us. But when my grandmother fell seriously ill back home, he didn’t hesitate—he left everything behind to return and take care of her and of us.

Before leaving, he partnered with his closest cousin in a construction business. My father invested $13,000, while my uncle invested $8,000. They agreed that while the company expanded, my father and he would each get some pills, $ each month, to keep their families stable. For two months, he did exactly that.

Then one night, he received the most devastating call. And they reportedly told him the business had been robbed, everything was gone, and even my uncle’s life was at risk. My father was shattered. That money represented years of sacrifice—after that incident, he never spoke openly about it again. Back in his hometown, he took unstable, simple jobs just to survive. Life grew worse: my 19‑year‑old brother died from a rare disease, and my grandmother passed away at 83.

Fast forward to 2025. My father learned that the government was pursuing my uncle for $100,000 in unpaid taxes. Shocked, he began to dig deeper — and discovered the truth. My uncle had become a millionaire. Much of the money had survived, and my uncle had kept it.

My father realized that a portion of that wealth rightfully belonged to him. However, pursuing it seemed pointless. My uncle held wealth, influence, and the ability to manipulate the legal system or resort to intimidation. When my father tried to reach out, my uncle stopped picking up the phone. The few times he did answer, he insulted my father instead of listening. It became clear that he had no intention of acknowledging the truth or giving back what was owed, and he also said that it was his money. After that, he sent 4k, saying that was the money that survived that time, but it was after he built a million from it. After 11 years, my father's 13k investment become 4k

Eventually, the family gathered for a meeting to discuss what could be done. But everyone agreed there was nothing they could do. My uncle had a foreign passport, lived in another country, and was untouchable in ways my father could never match. Even traveling to confront him was impossible.

My mother, worried for my father’s safety, told him plainly that it was dangerous. She feared that with the kind of money and power my uncle had, he could use it to silence or even kill anyone who stood against him. And so my father was left with nothing but the bitter knowledge that the fortune his brother enjoyed was built partly on his sacrifice, while he carried the weight of loss, grief, and fear.

Are we rightful owners of part of that money, or are we wrong to believe it belongs to us? 

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

Flair: Legal Question
Tags: #BusinessDispute #FamilyConflict #OwnershipRights #LegalAdvice