Sponsored by
Filipino nurse in legal battle to be with kids
A Filipino nurse helping to save lives on Wearside is locked in a desperate legal fight with the Government to be reunited with her children left stranded in her homeland.
Sheila Fortuna came to the UK to start a new life for herself and her family and escape the economic turmoil in the Philippines.
Forced to leave behind her five children in the care of her frail parents, the 37-year-old vowed to send for them once she found work and arranged their dependants' visas with the Home Office.
But almost six years after arriving in the UK, the Operating Room Nurse at Sunderland Royal Hospital said she is still struggling to gain the necessary paperwork for the children, aged six to 15.
"All I want is to be with my kids," she said. "I don't know why the Government is making it so difficult. I first applied for the visas in 2006 and for some reason they said because my husband had left me at the time the application was denied.
"I appealed and they asked me why I wanted my children here. I said I want to look after them and they needed a mother. It looks as if that reason is not enough. They denied my appeal."
Sheila, who is only able to visit her children once a year because of expensive airfares, said her mum and dad are finding it difficult to cope with caring for the youngsters.
"My father is 63 and he has had heart problems and my mother has had difficulties with her knee and has restricted mobility," she said. "They both do their best, but it's hard for them. I want to look after my own children myself. I miss them all so much.
"I send money back home, but it's hard for me to fly out there. It can cost a lot of money."
After re-applying for dependants' visas, Sheila now hopes to carry out a loft conversion at her home in the Ford Estate to provide room for all her children.
Under Home Office rules, youngsters will be refused dependants' visas if their parents do not have ample accommodation where they can live without help from public funds.
"At the moment, my house doesn't have enough room for all of us and I need to do something about that as quickly as possible," she said. "It's going to cost a lot of money.
"My solicitor said I also have to have good financial standing or else the application will be useless and we'll probably end up going to court again for an appeal, which will cost money, a lot of money."
The Philippines is saddled with a large national debt and tens of millions of people live in poverty.
The economy is heavily dependent on the billions of dollars sent home each year by the country's huge overseas workforce.
"I want to make a better life here for both myself and my children," said Sheila. "I love it in Sunderland, this is my home, and I really enjoy my job.
"I've been here years and I've never asked for any funds from the Government. I've never received any benefits and I'm paying my tax and National Insurance religiously. I don't know why we have to suffer because of these strict rules for foreign workers.
"I earn for my children and work hard for the NHS.
"I am part of Sunderland community. I am active in religious and social works here.
"This is all about my kids who need their mother to look after them. I love them so much. They are giving me the strength to carry on."
The Home Office, which does not comment on individual cases, is expected to consider Sheila's new application in the coming months.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sunderland
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
