Milton, Florida
(Note: Please plan to attend a rally and vigil outside the Milton, Fl courthouse in April 23 in support of reuniting Joy with her daughter Kenlee. Subscribe to this website fore updates).
In a powerful show of support for parental rights, Rachel Rodriguez—Republican candidate for Governor of Florida, attorney, litigator, and mother—spoke at the Free Kenlee vigil outside the Santa Rosa County Courthouse in Milton. Her remarks, now available in full on YouTube, have already inspired thousands fighting alongside Joy Zuraff to bring her daughter Kenlee home.
Kenlee Zuraff is a beautiful 7-year-old girl living with cystic fibrosis. Like many children with CF, she faces unique challenges with weight, pulmonary issues, and medication reactions—none of which are failures of parenting. Yet in March 2024, Florida DCF workers and armed police entered her home and forcibly removed her from her mother Joy’s care over a medical treatment disagreement. What supporters have called a “state-sponsored kidnapping” has kept Kenlee in foster care, six hours away from home, for nearly two years. Joy remains under a protective order that gags her from speaking publicly about the case.
The February 9 hearing—where DCF sought to permanently terminate Joy’s parental rights—was continued until April 23, 2026, thanks in large part to the growing national spotlight and community pressure created by events like this vigil.
“The Price of Freedom Is Eternal Vigilance”
Rodriguez opened her speech by thanking the crowd for their presence and quoting the timeless principle:
“About 250 years ago, some pretty smart guys made the point that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. And that’s what you guys are doing today.”
She shared how she first learned of Kenlee’s story just two months earlier, when it lacked widespread attention. As an experienced litigator, she was honest with Joy:
“Unfortunately, as a litigator, I can’t say that you’re going to get justice or that truth is going to prevail in the court system… What you really need is for people to see what’s happening.”
Thanks to activists, streamers, investigators, and supporters who refused to stay silent, the case is no longer hidden behind courtroom walls.
A Bold Proposal: No State Right to Permanently Sever Parental Bonds
Rodriguez went further than calling for due process. She proposed a Florida constitutional amendment declaring that the state has no right to permanently take away parental rights:
“We can start in Florida as a constitutional amendment that there is no right by the state to take away parental rights permanently… We understand that the living God gives the rights to parents with the responsibilities to take care of their kids… to nurture their kids, to show them how to fear God.”
She explained that removing the state’s power to terminate rights would eliminate dangerous financial incentives in the system. Instead, she called on communities and people of faith to step up and support families in genuine need—without strangers or profit motives involved.
A Mother’s Personal Story of Hospital Overreach
Drawing from her own life, Rodriguez recounted a terrifying parallel. In March 2024, her five-year-old son was hospitalized with a burst appendix that nearly claimed his life. A surgeon reportedly put his finger in her face, questioned her as a parent, and threatened to escalate the matter to risk management.
“I could see in that moment I was being baited as a mother… to respond in a way that could then be put into a record as somehow mentally unfit.”
She recognized the same incentives at play that have trapped so many families—including the Zuraffs—in the system.
The Fight Continues – How You Can Help Bring Kenlee Home
Rachel Rodriguez’s appearance at the vigil signals growing momentum and political support for families facing DCF overreach. But the battle is far from over. The next court date is April 23, 2026.
You have the power to help:
- Donate to Joy’s legal defense fund: givesendgo.com/bringmybabyhome
- Share Kenlee’s story widely—public pressure works.
- Contact your elected officials and demand oversight of Florida DCF practices.
- Stay informed and join future vigils—eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.
We speak for a mother who can’t. Together, with leaders like Rachel Rodriguez standing beside us, we will bring Kenlee home where she belongs.
Stay vigilant. Stay strong. #FreeKenlee
FreeKenlee.com – Because every child deserves their mother.
Learn more about Kenlee’s plight here.
