BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Sherry Ballard, the mother of Crystal Rogers, held a rally in Bardstown, Ky. on Saturday near the Nelson County Justice Center. That’s the courthouse where Ballard has been fighting for visitation rights to see her grandson, Rogers’ youngest child.

Dozens of people rallied Saturday in support of grandmother Ballard.

“I have not seen my grandson. It was two years in November,” Ballard said.

Ballard said after her daughter went missing in July 2015, she had visitation rights to see her grandson, who was just two years old when Rogers disappeared. 

The child’s father, Brooks Houck, was Rogers’ boyfriend at the time. Houck has been the only person named a suspect in the case and currently has full custody of the child.

However, Ballard said she hasn't had visitation rights to see her grandson since November 2018. Ballard said up until that point, she had seen her grandson every other weekend and started to also see him every other holiday. Ballard has tried unsuccessfully ever since to get some type of custody back. 

“I think I deserve to see my grandchild. I’ve even told them I would take supervised visitation. I’ve been denied that,” Ballard said.

Dozens of protesters showed up Sat., March 27, 2021 in support of Sherry Ballard’s continued fight to get visitation rights to see her grandchild, who is the youngest son of her missing daughter, Crystal Rogers.

Protesters showed their support for Ballard by chanting for over an hour Saturday afternoon, saying things like “Fight for Justice!”

“It always touches me very much to see all of the support. I’m always really nervous about that. To see everyone come out, it just, it means more than people know,” Ballard said.

Sherry Bradley has followed the Rogers case from the beginning. She drove all the way from Michigan to attend the rally.

“The strength and determination that this woman has is unbelievable. I just can’t imagine everything that she’s gone through. I mean, and to get nowhere,” Bradley said.

As a grandmother of three, Bradley said she feels for Ballard.

“It’s sad. It’s really, really sad,” Bradley said, speaking about how the child isn’t getting to know anyone on his mother’s side of the family.

The rally proved that Ballard will no longer stay silent.

“I refuse to pretend like this little boy is not my grandson. I refuse to pretend like he’s not my daughter’s son, and I just am not willing to do that anymore.”

Ballard said she wants her grandson to know that the family loves him.

“And I do want to see him. We miss him,” Ballard said.

In a ruling last month, a Nelson circuit judge denied Ballard permanent visitation rights. Ballard appealed that decision and said she will keep fighting.