#PinoyCanada Dream.Believe.Achieve
PhotoCredit: Annie Chua
For a number of Filipinos, moving to a first world country is a dream whether it is for education or for work. This dream came true for Vicky Venancio who was granted permanent residency in Canada on compassionate grounds after facing deportation due to an injury that rendered her incapable of work.
In 2011, Vicky was blessed to go to Canada for work as a temporary foreign worker in Edmonton. Not long after arriving in Canada, Vicky faced a big hurdle that would require all the strength and courage that she had.
Cycling to her work at a Mill Woods McDonald’s in 2012, she was hit by a vehicle that left her quadriplegic. Since she was in Canada as a temporary foreign worker and she is already incapable of working due to her accident, the federal government ordered for her deportation back to the Philippines.
In addition to her status, Vicky also did not have public health insurance which made the medical bills a challenge in itself. It is thanks to the support of her friends who even did a fundraiser to help her pay the bills and stay in the country.
Three years after her accident, she can now walk on her own with the help of a walker. Limited by her injury, she volunteers at the Glenrose and University hospitals where she talks about life and recovery to others with spinal cord injuries. She also volunteers in the constituency office of federal Amarjeet Sohi, the Liberal MP for Edmonton-Mill Woods and minister of infrastructure and communities.
Inspired by her dedication and will to get her life back to normal, Sohi, a city councillor, fought for Vicky’s case. “This is a file that has been very close to my heart. So I am very happy to see the outcome,” Sohi said.
Even Sol Rolingher, a lawyer in Edmonton, pushed federal politicians for a reconsideration of Vicky’s case. “We owe this lady a debt of gratitude, we don’t turn our backs on people who are hurt through no fault of their own,” Rolingher said.
After years of struggle, Vicky was granted permanent residency. “Yesterday I received it, and I was just bursting into tears in Canada Place,” Vicky Venancio said Wednesday.
With the threat of deportation gone, she feels that she is closer to getting her life back and she is more than excited for the new journey in her life.
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Previous article about Vicky, Read below
READ: Have you Heard about Vicky’s Story? Here’s why you should
