Anna’s Story: Smiling through Closed Doors

The past couple of months we have had the privilege of working with Anna, a recent immigrant to Canada, and her adorable toddler son. After suffering months and months of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her husband and her in-laws, Anna made the decision to seek safety at The Cridge Transition House for Women. Since that time, she has been an example of how frequently our system closes the door on women fleeing abuse.

Anna has experienced system failure with Income Assistance, who refused to cover the cost of her much-needed dental work. She has experienced it with Legal Aid, who assigned her a lawyer who belongs to a male rights group, and who has not been willing to take legal means to keep her safe. Legal Aid would not approve a change of counsel request, nor have they been willing to pay for an adequate translator to help her understand the process. She has experienced it with Canada Immigration who have given her a condition of having to remain with her husband for two years. Staff are currently trying to support her through the difficult process of trying to have this condition removed from her Permanent Residency. If we are unsuccessful, she will face deportation.

Through all of this, Anna has kept a smile on her face and hope in her heart. She is moving forward with her life, and plans to move to our Supportive Transitional Housing program in July. She is a loving mother to her son and a delight to work with. We are so pleased that we have been her open door!