How does a father handle the stress of raising his severely-handicapped son alone, the heartache of being denied access to his daughter, and still maintain the strength to continue fighting in a dysfunctional system for the welfare of his entire family?  Life as Dad, a documentary short, is a moving portrait of a man making the best of an impossible situation.

Between a rock and a hard place is the last place anyone wants to be and exactly where Craig Morrey is. After calling Okazaki, Japan home for the last 13 years, Craig desperately needs to get back to the United States. He can’t- at least not legally or with a clear conscience, at least not yet.

Due to complications during delivery, Craig’s 3-year old son Spencer suffers from severe cerebral palsy and requires frequent aspiration to keep his airway clear. Little professional support and few facilities for medically-fragile children in Japan places a huge burden on parents. While pregnant with their daughter Amelia, Craig’s Nikkei Brasilian wife placed that burden squarely on his shoulders. She left Spencer and Craig to live with her parents, refused all contact and secretly moved to another prefecture several hours away shortly after Amelia’s birth.

For the past year and a half, Craig has provided 24/7 care for Spencer by himself while trying to find ways to support his family and gain access to/ custody of Amelia. Craig and Spencer saw Amelia for the first time when she was 7 months old- in a courtroom. As they have only briefly seen each other 6 times since her birth, Amelia doesn’t recognize her brother or father yet. Craig, however, holds out hope that they will be together as a family one day soon.

Although her abandonment of Spencer suggests unresolved psychological issues/ trauma that affect Amelia as well, Japan’s family courts have not required an evaluation or counseling of any sort. More importantly, they have shown little regard for the extenuating nature of Spencer’s condition or Craig’s unwavering commitment to both of his children. Patiently waiting for well over a year, Craig fears the court’s failure to act indicates an overwhelming bias towards mothers regardless of past actions or the best interest of all children involved. Sadly, Craig realizes he is inexplicably fighting an uphill battle.

To avoid possible international child abduction charges according to US and Brasilian law and protect his rights with respect to Amelia, Craig needs either cooperation from his wife or a Japanese court order allowing him to move back to America to get much-needed assistance with Spencer’s care. Since international travel with minors does not require permission of both parents in Japan, the court sees no need to grant such an order. Legal matters aside, if Craig leaves Japan now, he and Spencer will likely never see Amelia again.

For a loving father, a rock and a hard place. For Craig Morrey, it’s just Life As Dad. 

Life as Dad - Documentary teaser from Anthony Gilmore on Vimeo.

CNN ran a story about Craig, Spencer and Amelia throughout the day. CNNinternational and CNN.com have have tex-versions as well. "US Father's Japanese Custody Heartache".

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