I dont' know if you remember my friend Selina. Her children are my children's best friends, and she is a very good friend to me.

She is still facing deportation back to Ghana, where she fled almost 5 years ago. Immigration are looking at a fresh claim her solicitor submitted but she and her family could still be taken to a detention centre at any time. She lives in fear of this and she and her family are still very traumatised by their experience when it happened last time.

As a result, I have her children take it in turns to come and stay overnight with me regularly, and Rachael and Hannah take it in turns to stay at her house on a 4 day cycle. If immigration come again, they cannot remove the family if they are not all there, nor can they take them if they have other children in the home with them. It is keeping them safe, but is very difficult for Selina. The kids think it's great fun though, mind you!

Two months ago she was found to be severely anaemic. She feels very weak, but the iron tablets she has been given make her vomit badly, and she cannot take them. She has been offered nothing else, and as a result she isn't getting better. Her doctor also refuses to run blood tests to check her thyroid, even though there is concern that she could have problems with this.

And today, she went to the doctor again. She told him she had been having pains in her stomach/pelvis recently, and not feeling well. The doctor initially refused to examine her and fobbed her off. Fortunately she'd gone with a friend who insisted he must look at her. The doctor reluctantly did, and in the process he felt a worrying lump in Selina's pelvis/bladder area. She is having a scan at hospital tomorrow.

(The doctor is hopeless and treats her as a 2nd class citizen as she is an asylum seeker. She can't afford to pay for private healthcare, and in the NHS you get some really good doctors, and some awful ones like hers. Grrrr)

So, all in all, she is really low, really worried and facing a very uncertain future. Please pray for her and that this lump is nothing sinister, and pray for her children too.

Thanks x

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Helen

Mum to ...
Rachael Kinza (25/07/01), Matthew Isaac - DS & Autism - (14/06/03) and Hannah Cerys (14/06/05) - my gorgeous kids!

sending hugs & prayers. glad to hear you are helping keep them safe what to doc say about the lump

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chris
mommy to brooke ds 8-30-04 blake 1-24-07
ss derek 1-19-94

Helen,

This is so sad and frustrating. Prayers that Selina gets the medical care she needs and her family gets to stay here. You're a good friend to do the child exchange!

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"There's a release in knowing the truth no matter how anguishing it is. You come finally to the irreducible thing, and there's nothing left to do but pick it up and hold it. Then, at least, you can enter the severe mercy of acceptance." Sue Monk Kidd

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people can make a difference, in fact it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Meade

Ann, married to Tim, mom to Sally, Mark, Jane, John (12/02, DS), Paul and Alice

www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnbremer

What stress to have to live under. You are such a huge help to her Helen.

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Shirley

Poor thing. This is some kind of crap for her to go through. Let us know if there is anything we can do. This is so sad that she has to go through all the medical stuff as well. I hope her scan comes back normal.

Thanks for your prayers guys.

Selina phoned the hospital the following day, only to be told the dr hadn't even made a referral. After another day of being assertive, she has now been given a date for a scan - 25th April - so she only has another 2 weeks of worrying to do!

So not much change, just continued uncertainty.

Keep praying though. It's gotta help!

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Helen

Mum to ...
Rachael Kinza (25/07/01), Matthew Isaac - DS & Autism - (14/06/03) and Hannah Cerys (14/06/05) - my gorgeous kids!

I can't believe the Dr.s are allowed to treat her that way!! That is just not right. I am praying for her & please keep us updated~~

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Renee~~ mom to Haley 10,Kassidy 8, & Lacey(DS) 4 & wife to Chris!!





* An extra little Chromosome thats all it is, you see. Where all of you were born with 2, my angel was blessed with 3.*

Helen
Hard to believe a doctor would treat a patient with such dis-regard!
Praying Selina gets some quality care.

_________________
Linda & John
mom to Hannah Kate (Age 12 ), Robert (Aged 6 - DS)


First day at school

I have come across way too many doctors like that. I will pray that the lump is nothing serious and that her and her children are able to gain residency.

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Karyn
Mum to Nikki (Jul 89), Stefanie (Sep 96), Joel [June 98] and Talitha (DS) (Nov 05) AVSD/PDA repaired 23 March 06

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." Psalm 139:14