We need help to survive callous immigration rules.

My wife Sossa has end stage kidney failure and is waiting for a lifesaving operation. I am giving a kidney to a transplant donor pool to expedite a reciprocal donor for Sossa (this is complicated even more by the fact she is a rare blood type).

Both Sossa and I will be having high-risk operations.

I am a film, concert and TV special effects engineer by trade, but I cannot work because I am a full-time carer for my wife (side effects of renal failure include seizures, gout, & worse), as well as trying to meet the needs of our four-year-old son.

Rent and energy bills take most of our income. We rely on food banks to get by. Kind friends and family help us with petrol money for vital hospital appointments; we would struggle to get to the hospital otherwise.

My wife is not eligible for disability benefits because of her visa status (she is American), and I am not eligible for a carers' allowance because Sossa is not receiving disability benefits (based on entitlement instead of eligibility). My family has also been disqualified for the 30hrs free childcare because of this.

Having repeatedly reached out to our local MP about these issues for over two years now, but not receiving any guidance or input from them, we find ourselves having to turn to you our greater community to request assistance.

We are one year off from applying for Permanent Residence for Sossa, but her application could be rejected if she were to access life-saving public funds, as her visa takes no account of kidney failure or any further hardships thrust upon upstanding people when it states carelessly, "no access to public funds".

We need immigration to advance our case by 12 months - and are desperately looking into how we can make that happen. We will need to find at least £2380 for the application, excluding associated costs of solicitors' fees (at least another £1000), travel costs for tribunal, etc; money we simply don’t have, just paying the bills is more than we can afford.

We appreciate any help you can give us, no matter how little. Your support will help us survive a heartless immigration system and help my wife focus on getting better.

If you feel you wish to support us through a donation and have any preference on how your donation will be used whether that be solely for the VISA application, solicitors fees, helping to pay bills to keep the lights and heating on or fuel to enable us to attend vital medical commitments, emergencies, etc please attach a message to any donation so that we can honour your wishes.

We are immensely grateful for your kindness and understanding.

Teddy, Sossa, and Sirius.

P.s 

If you have read this far and you are interested in being a potential donor for Sossa or anyone else, please reach out to us, we can answer a number of questions, but if you're determined to help and want to know more please just follow this link.

https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-services/renal-kidney/could-i-be-a-living-kidney-donor 

Thank you for being Awesome!!