Dear John,

Being incarcerated for a crime I didn’t commit and being ripped away from my children was the most difficult thing I’ve ever been through — but thanks to my faith, I never gave up hope, and I knew that one day I would be free. 

I’m so grateful to the Innocence Project team who fought for justice in my case. After nearly 26 years of wrongful conviction, I was finally exonerated in January, becoming the 250th person freed by the organization. Being able to connect with my kids again has been a huge blessing, but I know there are so many women in prison right now who don’t have that opportunity. 

The majority of incarcerated women are mothers like me, and we have to do everything we can to help them. In honor of Mother’s Day, will you make a matched donation to the Innocence Project right now so they can continue reuniting families like mine?*

While I was incarcerated, I told my kids not to pause their own lives just because I was locked up for something I didn’t do. And I’m so incredibly proud that both of them pursued higher education and now have families of their own. While they worked to build successful lives, they never forgot about me. Through their regular visits, I was able to foster strong relationships with my grandchildren, whom I cherish every moment with.

I waited 26 years to be exonerated. The days without seeing my children grow up and days without holding my grandchildren are the hardest to think about — and these are the moments I’ll never get back.

I want to make sure other mothers who are going through the same painful experience have all the support they need, and that starts with you. Will you make a matched Mother’s Day donation to the Innocence Project right now?

Thank you so much, and hug the mothers in your lives.

Renay Lynch
Exonerated in 2024
Innocence Project

*P.S. All gifts will be matched $1-for-$1, up to $30,000 thanks to the Bernard and Geraldine Segal Foundation. Please donate today.