Reuniting our family of 6 - A journey of hope

Help Reunite Our Family: Bringing Our Daughters to the UK

Five years ago, my partner made the incredibly brave decision to leave her home in Brazil and start a new life here in the UK. It wasn’t just about building a future for us as a couple, but also for her two daughters, who remained behind with their grandparents. Before coming to the UK, she had just survived a life-threatening battle with meningitis, spending a month in intensive care and nearly losing her life. The illness caused her to lose a significant amount of weight, and her recovery was long and difficult. But despite all of this, she gathered the strength to take that leap, hoping to give her daughters a better future.

Since she arrived here, we’ve faced many challenges. My partner has worked tirelessly—learning English, taking on tough jobs like cleaning houses, washing clothes, and long hours in a bakery distribution centre—anything to help make ends meet. She’s now working for the NHS as a healthcare assistant, with dreams of becoming a midwife. Meanwhile, I’ve been working freelance doing translation work online and caring for our two young boys, aged 4 years and 3 months. Our sons have never even met their sisters, who are 11 and 14 years old, because the struggle to bring them here has been long and complicated.

For the past five years, we’ve been fighting to reunite our family. The custody battle to bring her daughters to the UK is finally in its last stages—it’s now just formalities—but it has taken a huge financial and emotional toll on us. We’ve supported her daughters from afar, covering their expenses while also trying to manage our own household here. The financial strain of legal fees, visa processes, and day-to-day living expenses has left us deep in debt. We have relied on loans, credit cards, and family support just to survive, and now, with my partner on maternity leave, our situation has become even more precarious.

The stress has taken a toll on her mental health as well. She is suffering from postpartum depression, and the pressure of our financial situation has caused her Bell’s palsy to return—a condition that paralyzes the facial muscles when she is overly stressed. Despite all of this, her biggest desire is to reunite with her daughters and for us to finally be together as a family.

We are asking for help to raise £10,000, which will allow us to:

• Finalize the process of bringing her daughters to the UK, covering legal fees, visas, and flights.

• Pay down the debts that are threatening our ability to keep a stable home, such as rent arrears and bills.

• Provide essential items for the girls when they arrive, such as beds, clothing, and other necessities.

• Help us regain our financial footing so that we can provide a stable, loving environment for all of our children.

Our dream is simple: to be together as a family. Our boys have never had the chance to meet their sisters, and my partner has missed out on so many important moments in her daughters’ lives. We are at a breaking point, and we need help to finally bring them here and start a new chapter with all of us together.

We know that there are many families out there struggling, and some are facing life-threatening challenges. We deeply respect the hardships that others are going through, whether it’s dealing with war, terminal illness, or other extreme difficulties. Our story may not be as dire, but the emotional and financial strain we’re under has left us unable to reunite a mother with her daughters. We are simply trying to come together as a family, after years of separation and hardship.

Any contribution, whether it’s donating or sharing our story, would mean the world to us. Thank you for your kindness and support in helping us finally bring our family together.