- November 13, 2024
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“Many people find a name change a wonderful way to separate from a painful past. It reflects a change in identity to a healthier, happier self.” Dr. Marie Hartwell-Walker, an author quoted on the family’s GoFundMe page.
A family of six is seeking closure through a name change eight years after the parents divorced and allegations of abuse were brought forward. The Sperber family — Mom, three daughters and two sons — hope to be the Asher family by the end of the year.
To help pay for the process — a name change costs $400 per person — the Sperbers posted a GoFundMe page on social media. Having all the money at once will allow them to change their names as a family unit.
Kathryn Sperber, the second oldest daughter at 26 years old, called the relationship with her father “traumatic" — so much so that, she said, after the divorce, two of the children have seen therapists for post-traumatic stress disorder.
In 2009, Kathryn accused her father, George Sperber, of sexually abusing her since 1994. However, the State Attorney's Office decided in 2010 that it would not pursue criminal charges. Attempts to reach George Sperber were unsuccessful before press time.
Kathryn said a name change has been a topic of discussion for the past eight years, but it would only be done once Ellen (the mother) and all five children were on the same page, especially since the youngest, Nicholas, is only now 16 years old.
Nicholas and his brother, Matthew, found the name Asher, meaning, “abundance of happiness,” and the others agreed to use it.
“We have all worked so hard to move forward, and all of the children are passionate about their name change, feeling like it is one of the strongest links to the past,” Ellen Sperber wrote in an email. “They have been courageous, strong, united and faith filled through this healing process,” she wrote, referring to her children.
As a family, they also plan to continue to help others. Kathryn specifically chose her degree because of the past: She is studying psychology with a focus on family dynamics and trauma.
Ellen, who is a teacher at Old Kings Elementary School, earned her doctorate degree on June 24 from the University of Central Florida. Her dissertation focused on training teachers about trauma and its effects on student learning.
“Getting past this has been a really hard process and this is the last thing toward our freedom,” Kathryn said. She said she is looking forward to signing her new name, Kathryn Asher. “It’s just going to be so free,” she said.
