Paralyzed Pinay worker granted permanent residency in Canada

  • Page Views 2001
  • Vicky Venancio dreamed of earning enough money to support herself and her elderly parents back in the Philippines, and to one day become a Canadian citizen.

    That dream shattered on a June day in 2012 when Venancio was struck by a car while biking to work in Edmonton.

    Quadriplegic and wheelchair bound, Venancio could no longer work. As a result, her work visa soon expired, along with her provincial health care benefits.

    Making matters worse, her  employer failed to honour her employment contract of providing disability insurance when she was hired, leaving her with no ability to cover the considerable medical and rehabilitation costs associated with her condition.

    But Venancio persevered. Left without any healthcare coverage, she volunteered for experimental treatments at the University of Alberta’s ReWalk program. She has made significant progress and is helping the research group to learn new directions in making post injury re-walking possible.

    Venancio is determined to recover, return to work and realize her Canadian dream.

    But she faced her her biggest challenge yet.

    Earlier, in a public hearing, the Canadian government has decided that she can no longer stay in Canada.

    At the hearing she stated “I Know I can’t have my normal life back. But I cannot let my disability take away my dreams.”

    On August 9, Venancio rejoiced after the Canadian government granted her permanent residency on compassionate grounds.

    “Yesterday I received it, and I was just bursting into tears in Canada Place,” Venancio, who is now 31, said in a report by the Edmonton Sun.

    While cycling to work at a Mill Woods McDonald’s in Edmonton in 2012, a vehicle struck her.

    She spent nearly three years in Edmonton without public health insurance, while friends supported her and fundraised to help her fight to stay in the country. Money from an injury settlement soon ran out.

    A family doctor who treated Venancio for free became an “angel in her life”.

    Three years, two months and 10 days after the crash — yes, she counted — a tenacious Venancio took her first step. She now lives on her own and moves around the apartment with a walker.

    “I don’t have any reason to give up,” she said.

    Edmonton lawyer Sol Rolingher lobbied federal politicians to consider Venancio’s unusual circumstances, instead of living by the letter of immigration law.

    “We owe this lady a debt of gratitude,” Rolingher said in a report by the Edmonton Sun. “We don’t turn out backs on people who are hurt through no fault of their own.”

    Even after securing a two-year work permit in 2015, Venancio lived in limbo. She was afraid to leave Canada — even to say goodbye to her dying mother in the Philippines — knowing she couldn’t get back across the border.

    Wanting to go back to school, the options available to her as an international student were limited and too expensive, she said. Now, many of those barriers have evaporated.

    She spends her days volunteering at the Glenrose and University hospitals, talking with others who have spinal cord injuries, and also speaking to students about life and recovery since the injury limited the use of her body from the neck down.

    Although she’s looking for a computer or clerical job to pay the bills, she wants to study to be a social worker.

    She also volunteers weekly in the constituency office of federal Amarjeet Sohi, the Liberal MP for Edmonton-Mill Woods and minister of infrastructure and communities.

    Sohi has lobbied on Venancio’s behalf since he was a city councillor. He’s inspired by her determination to get her life back together, and said he’s confident Venancio will be a successful Canadian.

    “This is a file that has been very close to my heart. So I am very happy to see the outcome,” Sohi said in the Edmonton Sun report.

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      Kumukuti-kutitap: Paskong Pinoy Shines in New Westminster

      Vancouver, BC – September 16, 2023 – Christmas comes early in Metro Vancouver as the Filipino- Canadian community will be in for a treat to the first Kumukuti-kutitap: Paskong Pinoy 2023. The main event will highlight the Parol-Making Workshop to be hosted by the New Westminster Philippine Festival Society. ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      2 Filipino films playing at VIFF

      This year, 2 films telling stories of Filipino characters are playing at the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival. Paris Zarcilla’s Raging Grace and Seán Devlin’s Asog will be shown during the 42nd edition of VIFF! The Vancouver International Film Festival is one of the 5 largest film festivals in ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      B.C. moves to increase housing supply, deliver more homes faster

      New measures are coming to B.C. that will help create more housing as the Province speeds up permitting and helps build more secondary suites for rent. “People in our province deserve a decent place to live they can actually afford to rent or buy, but a chronic housing shortage ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      Netflix Philippines drops first-ever Station ID

      Netflix Philippines drops first-ever Station ID featuring Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano, other stars Netflix Philippines is celebrating Christmas early this year as the streaming service released its Christmas-themed Station ID via its social media channels on Monday, September 18. The video—titled “Kumukutikutitap ang Mga Bituin sa Brgy. Netflix!“— features ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      “Senior High” now available for free and on-demand in US, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Australia

      Available only on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel Mondays will always be on a high as viewers worldwide can now enjoy binge-watching ABS-CBN’s trending mystery-thriller series, “Senior High” starring Andrea Brillantes, which is now available for free and on-demand only on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel. Kapamilyas in the US, Canada, ...

    %d bloggers like this: