A Miramichi woman who lost her citizenship as a teen is still fighting to get it back.
Theresa Kenney doesn't receive the same health care coverage as other New Brunswickers because despite being born in Canada she is not a Canadian citizen.
At 92, Kenney said she pays about $200 a month for medication and health care is the big issue as she tries to regain her citizenship.
"I would like to get medicare above all things."
Kenney was born in the Miramichi, but when her father died her mother moved the family to Boston so she could find work.
Kenney was only 13 at the time.
When her mother became a U.S. citizen, Kenney did too and the family had to renounce their Canadian citizenship. Because she was a minor, Kenney wasn't aware of the long-term implications of giving up her Canadian citizenship and she has been fighting to get it back since returning to Miramichi in 2003.
While she tries to regain her citizenship, Kenney can apply for permanent residency, but in the past it was an option she didn't want to take.
Her plans have changed since a January interview with the Miramichi Leader when she said she wanted either her citizenship back or nothing.
On Monday Kenney said she might pay the $500 fee to apply for permanent residency so she can get medicare.
"I don't have much hope of getting the medicare without all the paraphernalia that goes with it."
Kenney said she has a neighbour who also moved to the Miramichi from Boston after she did and the woman already has medicare.
"I don't know how she got it so quickly."
Once the permanent residency application is sent in, Kenney said she doesn't know how long it will take for the government to process it.
"I hope this week to get the application together."
Bunny Dempsey is a member of the Knights of Columbus who brings Kenney weekly communion.
He said she worries about her citizenship issues and if she could at least get medicare it would be a help to her.
"Certainly they're not moving fast enough, as far as I'm concerned."
Every level of government knows about her situation and immigration struggles, he said.
"Permanent residency would help her a lot."
Dempsey has been trying to help her with her citizenship issues and said it is discouraging sometimes, but he pushes on because she needs health care.
"To me that's senior citizen abuse."
If something happened to her that required her to move into a nursing home she wouldn't be able to, he said.
"They won't take her in a home without medicare."
Kenney said she knows someone who was an American citizen, but hates the U.S. and is now a permanent resident in Canada.
"To be in her position, I don't want because I love the United States and I love Canada."
But she is getting older and said she is tired of fighting for her lost citizenship.
"It's so hard to fight at 92."
Through it all she still remains hopeful her situation will get resolved.
"Every day I run to the mailbox hoping to see immigration papers," she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment