Logan Gifford is one of the bravest men I’ve read about in a long time. His decision to share his unimaginable, gut-wrenching story is not only admirable but also essential.
The young boy, whose identity Logan has kept private, faces cognitive challenges. Children born from incest are at an increased risk of genetic disorders and disabilities.
”Look at the mess that I’m left with. I didn’t ask for any of this,” Logan told Las Vegas Review Journal in a emotional interview.
Logan now wants a judge to order a test to determine paternity. His attorney, Timothy Treffinger, told the outlet that Gifford’s mother has denied the claim that he is the father and has shown a willingness to undergo a paternity test.
Logan Gifford feels it’s his duty to get answers about his younger brother’s biological father, stating, “I feel that as though it is my obligation or my duty to (him) to do this and find out who his biological father really is.”
The idea was initially suggested by his therapist, who raised the possibility that Logan might be the father. Gifford recalled, “I was 17 at the time. That threw me for a loop.”
His younger brother, who receives a disability check, now lives with Logan after he gained temporary guardianship. The teenager had been living with Theodore, Logan’s father, until January when he moved in with Logan.
If it turns out Logan is the father, the case will shift from guardianship to a custody issue. However, if he isn’t, it will remain a guardianship case. Determining paternity is complicated due to the fact that both brothers share Theodore’s DNA, making it difficult to establish a clear result.
Logan expressed how challenging this situation is for him as a survivor, saying, ”To sit here and say that my brother may be the product of my sexual assault is a very visceral thing to think about as a male survivor. But he’s here now. There’s no going back and undoing anything. And he deserves to have a quality of life where he’s comfortable, where he can be a kid.”
As for their mother, Doreene Gifford, she was released on parole last July but was arrested again in January for violating a condition of her parole by having contact with a victim. She is set to face a parole violation hearing in April and is currently being held at the Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center.