Child custody ...... anyone give advice or say something to calm me down!!!!

I have been raising my daughter who was born with disabilities because of premature birth at 23 weeks, for five years going on six pretty soon. It was too much for her father to deal with I guess and at one and a half years old he told me he wasn’t ready to be a father and was not ready for all this and wanted out. So I gave him the peace sign and never looked back.... she was sick and struggled most of her life up until 4 1/2 years. Me and my daughter have been through so much together already two eye surgeries, collapsed lungs at 2, and constantly sick until just recently. I sacrificed my career, myself, hell my life to be by her side and get her the help, therapy, and a whole lot of love and encouragement..... well just recently after almost 6 years her father pops up and is now taking me to court for custody!!!! ???? I am literally sick to my stomach over this!! She doesn’t even know him, he chose to stay away!!! I have tried several times to involve him in her life. I even let him come and go once or twice a year if that to give them a chance to have a relationship. My family recently relocated to North Carolina which is my only support and help when I need and is not in the state that I reside and I need to move down there with them. But now I’m afraid I will not be able to leave the state. I literally cannot do this without them. He is unwilling to pay child support and is on SSI disability so they will not even allow him to, he is unwilling to help me with anything!! Who will pick her up every day after school, who will take her to the doctors at one I need to be at work? These are things my parents do for me. Has anyone ever needed to leave the state and had to deal with child custody issues? As soon as I told him he ran to the courthouse and filed for custody, seriously how dare him! And now I am left with begging HIM for permission to let me live my life. It’s crazy!! I’m sick with anxiety!!! I’m loosing sleep over this, crying every day. Idk what to do!!