A federal judge in Chicago reportedly ordered that a 6-year-old in the middle of an international custody battle be returned to Illinois to live with his mother.
It's a custody case that has spanned county, state, federal and international courts.
Mary Redmond met Derek Redmond in Ireland. The couple never married, but in 2006, she became pregnant.
The couple had a son, Jack, who was born in the United States.
The family lived in Ireland, but the couple's relationship fell apart quickly, and seven months later, Mary brought her son back to the U.S.
Over the next five years, Derek Redmond won several judgments awarding him joint custody and a federal judge ruled Jack should be returned to Ireland. In 2012, the mother and son said goodbye at O'Hare Airport.
But Mary kept fighting, and the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in her favor last July, determining Jack's "habitual" home is in the United States. The court ruled Jack should be returned to the United States, while his parents continue their custody fight in family court.
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And U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle Sr. agreed. Following the appellate court’s decision, Norgle ordered Jack be returned to Illinois, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Mary believes Jack's permanent home is back in Orland Park. She says the last 15 months away from her son have been difficult, but the phone calls and videos of Jack keep her going.
"I find it hard to have energy to do anything. I find it hard to be motivated, to keep going. But when I talk to Jack, it's definitely something worth fighting for," she said.
