JENN AND STEVE
On Monday, September 20th Jenn and Steve were told that their five year old daughter, Sydney, had Leukemia. On Tuesday they took her to BC Children’s Hospital and stayed for six months.
Sydney had been diagnosed with an acute form of Leukemia and was to undergo three excruciating rounds of chemo therapy that would completely deplete her immune system and leave her vulnerable to infections. Sydney was placed in an isolated unit of BC Children’s for six months, which became Jenn and Steve’s living quarters while she received treatment and recovered.
The experience was emotionally and financially draining for the couple who are also parents of two young boys. “No one plans for their child to get sick”, says Jenn. “You are left to your own resources, which can be devastating for some people”. The Red Cross Family Support program was developed to help families like Jenn and Steve’s cope with the unexpected hardships of caring for a sick child. Volunteers offer emotional support, such as staying with the patient while parents take a much needed break, and provide food and accommodation subsidies to those who need it. Over the six months that Sydney and her parents were at BC Children’s Hospital, Jenn says that Red Cross volunteers became like family. “It’s the little things that mean so much”, says Jenn. “They brought me a sandwich and a coffee to make sure that I had something to eat and I remember Patsy playing cards with Sydney so that I could have a break. They deal with people who are at their most desperate and they are always so level and just pleasant.”
Sydney went into remission after her first treatment and is back at home enjoying life as a normal five year old. “Until this happened to me I had no idea this program existed”, said Jenn. “I think it is absolutely amazing. A lot of charities can just give you things, but not many will walk through your door and ask you what you need. It is very personal. I was just so grateful to have them there”. - Family Support Program
JEAN MARIE
Jean Marie had been searching for his family ever since he and his son arrived home to find his wife and two daughters had disappeared. The violent Congolese civil war had destroyed their town and most of his neighbours and friends had vanished.
Jean Marie had been traveling from town to town asking if anyone had seen or heard news of his wife when a friend returning from a Zambian refugee camp said he thought he saw his wife at the camp. Jean Marie crossed the border to Zambia, but when he arrived found that the camp had 10,000 people and was moved deep into the country for fear the Congolese army would take or kill refugees. With no money to continue his journey, Jean Marie turned home to Congo.
After four years, he heard news that his wife and daughters were at a refugee camp in Malawi. Jean Marie scraped together some money to get there and, because there wasn’t much, left his son in Congo while he searched for the rest of his family. After an arduous journey and bribing border guards – which can be met with severe punishment – Jean Marie made it to the Malawi refugee camp of 6,000. He stayed to look for his wife and became a camp lead for the Red Cross where he mediated between refugees and the Red Cross office, bringing news of shipments and relaying concerns.
Jean Marie soon learned that his wife had been at the camp for one year, but had left. Some fellow Congolese told him that they thought they had gone to South Africa. Jean Marie turned back to Congo to get his son and left for South Africa. With no money they begged their way down to Johannesburg and to the Red Cross Internal Office. Jean Marie asked if they had news of his wife. They did not. They told him to come back every two weeks to ask if they had news of his wife, which he did for six months. After six months of waiting, Jean Marie arrived at the office to find they had found his family. They were living in Canada.
“I could not believe it. After all this time they had found them”, says Jean Marie. The Red Cross arranged for Jean Marie to talk to his family over the phone – an appointment that he anxiously awaited. “I cannot describe what it felt when I heard their voices. I cried and they cried.”
The Red Cross agreed to help Jean Marie reunite with his family in Canada. They helped gather documentation and assisted with the immigration process. “They were very involved “, says Jean Marie. “They helped me so much.”
When the day finally came for Jean Marie to see his family he was taken from the
Vancouver airport in a taxi to the apartment where his family was living. “When I
saw my wife and my two daughters come out of the house”, describes Jean Marie,
“I don’t have the words to describe what happened. I was crying and they were
crying. People were looking at us, like ‘what has happened to these people?’
It was a big moment. An unforgettable moment.”
- Restoring Family Links Program
SADIA
Sadia, a Vancouver resident, had been searching for her sister Nacima since she left their family home in Somalia at the age of 16. Sadia had tried contacting relatives and former neighbors in Somalia to see if they had any information on her sister’s whereabouts, but without success.
With few options left, Sadia contacted the Lower Mainland Region of the Canadian Red Cross in March 2010 to ask for help in locating her sister. The Red Cross followed the lead Sadia had provided that Nacima may have gone to Egypt to seek assistance from the UNHCR. The Red Cross contacted the refugee-serving organization to see if they would help locate Nacima. A few weeks later, the Red Cross received news that Nacima was registered with the UNHCR in Egypt. The Red Cross brought the happy news to Sadia who was overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. This is an example of how Restoring Family Links works to bring families and loved ones together across borders, giving people hope and putting an end to their anxiety amidst the chaos and confusion caused by conflict, war, disasters or illness.
Restoring Family Links provides several unique services to help alleviate the
anxiety for individuals who are looking for answers. Whether it is facilitating the
exchange of Red Cross messages between family members or providing a health
and well-being update on a friend or family member one has lost contact with,
the Red Cross ensures that messages are sent and families are reconnected.
- Restoring Family Links Program