jessicaelgin69
05-19-2008, 03:50 AM
Background:
Oscar and I Jessica Garcia/U.S.C. met in 1997, and had our first daughter in august of 1998 When Oscar got here he lived with his sister , and our daughter and I were living with my mother because Oscar and I could not financially live on our own. Oscar would come see us every other day and usually the weekends he would spend with us. We ended up getting pregnant with our second daughter and had her in May 30, 2000. We continued living apart due to the fact we were trying to save money to get a place of our own.
Finally in May of 2001 we got our first apartment at 1175 spruce lane in Elgin IL near my mother. We were so excited but it was very different for us because we had never lived together. Oscar helped me finish school by watching our girls while I tried to study. When I got to the point that I wanted to give up he would always push me harder and tell me how much I needed my diploma. I finished and received my diploma in December, 2001 . Things were not always perfect but we always tried our best to make things work as we started out very young and inexperienced.
We ended up having our third child, a son, in February, 2002. This brought some trying times to us because two weeks after home from the hospital I kept saying that the baby was turning blue and it looked like he was not breathing. I took him in to the Emergency Room and he was immediately admitted in to the pediatric ICU unit where he spend a month. During that month Oscar proved just what a strong man he was and how much he loved our family and that he would do anything for us. Oscar took a couple of weeks off of work and we would alternate days at the hospital with my son so that at least one of us was at home for our daughters too. My mom would stay with my son one day so that Oscar and I could spend time with our girls together because they did not understand what was going on. That was one of the points in your life when you realize that you have to keep your faith no matter what and not knowing what was going to happen with our son. It made me and Oscar stronger as a couple and just made us realize we were going to do what ever it takes to do the best for our children.
My son was released from the hospital and soon after that it was fathers day we had went to my grandparent’s house where we would usually spend at least two weekends out of the month helping them. I remember this Father’s day all the time because we went to the Eagle Point Park in Dubuque, Iowa and cooked out. We took family pictures with my grandparents. This was the last holiday we spent with my grandpa as he passed away that September, 2002. We were very close to him so his passing was an extremely hard time for us. He liked Oscar so much and he always had Oscar doing some chores around the house. Oscar was the only male around to help and do these things.
When my grandpa passed away this was the hardest thing for my whole family to deal with. Many years prior to this we had lost my little brother when he was 5 1/2 months old (I was about 5). We lost one of the most important men in my life my Uncle Jimmy who meant the world to me because he was there for me when I was younger and my own father did not have the time.
One thing about my husband is that no matter what the situation he always tries to make me feel better and never gives up on me or our children . For these reasons Oscar is the most special person in my life and without him I don’t know where I would be today. Oscar is a very special person to my family’s life as he is the only grown adult male left in the maternal side of my family. He is counted on to do a lot of things to help my grandmother and my mother.
On June 18th, 2005 we were finally married in a little town in Wisconsin about 10 miles from where my grandmother lived. We figured it would be easier traveling for her as she had just had replacement surgery on her shoulder and it was also the halfway point for all of my other family. On our wedding day we had our three children baptized to make it more special. So the family was there for everything all at once. My husband and I talk all the time about how special our wedding was to us. We found the most wonderful pastor, Denise Anderson who helped us incorporate both cultures into our wedding because for us that was important. We did not want either side of our family feeling left out. All of our programs for the baptism and wedding were in Spanish and English and the ceremony also was in Spanish and English. We cooked most of the food the night before the wedding so that there was Mexican food and American food so both sides of the family could enjoy the meal. We think by doing these things it made our wedding so special because of all the special things that were added to make it unique. We also made sure that some one taped our wedding to make sure that Oscar’s mother could see it because she was not there to enjoy the moment. This was hard for Oscar as he has not seen his mother since September, 1998 when he came to the United States.
We had our fourth child, another son, in May of 2006. He was also born a month early due to the fact that my kidneys were shutting down and I was sick and vomiting all the time. During that period of time that I was in the hospital Oscar had to take some days off of work to take care of our other children because they had school and stuff. This made Oscar realize how hard a job it is to take care of our kids all of whom have disabilities including our youngest son.
So for these reasons I ask you to allow him to come back to us in a timely fashion as I cannot raise all four of our children with each of whom have disabilities. Oscar is my only mental support and emotional support in my immediate area. I do not have friends here and my family is at least 2 1/2 hours away. And I am not emotionally or physically able to do this alone it would be impossible.
See Exhibits( )copies of our children’s birth certificates and Oscar and Jessica’s Marriage License .
Health:
This will be the biggest part of my hardship letter.
(See Exhibit ___________ From Dr. Martin (Jessica’s /U.S.C. ) Physiatrist
(See Exhibit ___________ From Eva Powers (Jessica’s /U.S.C. ) Counselor
I would like to start out about me, Jessica, Oscar’s wife. I have bipolar and have suffered from severe depression since I was very young. I currently am taking Sertraline 100mg (generic for Zoloft) one in morning and 1 at night for depression and Bupropion SR 150mg ( generic for wellbutrin)once in morning and once at night, for depression and Lamictal 100 MG 2per day for mood swings and nascort for allergies and singular 10 mg for asthma and allergies.(See exhibit_______) :personal prescription printout from Walgreen’s. Several unfortunate events have taken place in my life to make my condition much worse. I was sexually molested, my brother passed away, my Uncle Jimmy, who was like a dad to me, was killed, and I lost my grandpa in 2002. I have lost so many men in my life that if my husband was to have to stay in Mexico for a long period of time, it would be like me losing him, as well.
I have had this mental health condition ( Bipolar II disorder) witch effects my life very badly at times. That’s why I need to stay in treatment and on my medication. I have been seeing my current psychiatrist for about 10 years. She knows me very well and this helps keep me on track because she knows what is working the best for me. (See Exhibit _____ from Dr.Martin Jessica/U.S.C. physiatrist) I have suffered from severe depression on and off and have bipolar disorder which causes me to have Manic episodes - one minute I can be happy and the next just break out in tears and screaming. I have very bad anxiety around other people and especially about going to public places by myself. That is why Oscar accompanies me almost everywhere to help me with this. At first this affected Oscar’s and my relationship because he did not understand what was going on, But he was willing to read something’s I brought from the doctor about bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder, and understood more about it and was willing to accept it no matter how hard it has been or how hard it is or gets. He has never left me despite the fact that I have tried to push him away during my episodes when I was severely depressed and didn’t want to get out of bed or in my extreme out burst of rage as they can get very bad at times , But he has always made sure that I know he will always be there. This is what makes me need my husband so much more, he is such a big support to me concerning the issues with my bipolar disorder and knows how to comfort me and help me through these severe ups and downs. When he is away there will be no one to help me through this. My husband being in Mexico is going to be very hard and devastating to me and my children.. I was in several different treatment centers when I was younger. I had alcohol, drug and behavioral problems.
My husband has stuck by my side and no matter how bad circumstances get, he is always there for me 100%: emotionally, mentally, and physically. My life changed because of Oscar, he made it better and made me believe in myself. That’s what makes it so important for my husband to be here ,in U.S.
The medication helps me get through daily life and helps me deal with the rough situation of having 4 children with disabilities. I could not do this alone without my husband. It takes two people that are as committed as my husband and I are to care for them. My husband takes care of our children so I can go to my psychiatrist and therapy ( See Exhibit ______letter from my therapist Eva Powers ) appointments needed for my sanity and my family’s health. If he was not here, I will not be able to attend maintenance appointments. I do not have friends to rely on to, watch our children only my husband, in our immediate area.
If I do not go to my appointments I cannot receive the prescriptions for medications to treat my conditions. This would be very bad for me and my family because I would probably have to be committed in to the hospital.. I also need the therapy appointments to sort through past issues that might affect my future progress. Maintenance appointments help me to keep going through this difficult immigration process, not knowing what the future holds for me and my family and realizing that I can’t make the decision, that some one else makes the decision on how your life’s going to be. This is extremely scary to me and I always call my mother crying because the immigration process is extremely difficult to handle. I don’t want my husband to feel bad. Papers or no papers, it’s never going to change the way I feel about my husband, and I know my husband is a good provider and will be a positive influence on everyone around us.
Concerns to my children’s Mental Health:
As I stated earlier in my letter, we have four children who have disabilities and caring for them is very difficult. If my husband was not here to help, this would be extremely hard. We struggle together. I can’t imagine doing it alone for a long period of time.
(See exhibit _________) : Letter from Dr.Rena Goodfriend Leve M.D. Physiatrist Specializing in Children and Adolescents . For Niqitia, Rebecca, and Brandon children of Jessica/U.S.C and Oscar/Applicant.
(See exhibit _______) : Letter From Janette Lindsey counselor for Rebecca and Brandon .(Children of U.S.C and Applicant)
(See exhibit________) : Letter From Bill Ruffer Counselor for Niqitia (Daughter of U.S.C. and applicant.)
( See exhibit_______): copies of Individual Education Plans for special education and learning disabilities for Niqitia and Rebecca (Children of U.S.C. and applicant.)
See Exhibit______ ) :letter from Pastor Denise Anderson concerning our mental health conditions.
Our oldest daughter will be ten in August. She has learning disabilities, is bipolar disorder and (ADHD), impulse control disorder, and shows signs of obsessive compulsive disorder. She is currently medicated with Adderall XR 30mg morning, and Amphetamine Salt 20mg, (Generic for adderall)1 in morning and 1 at noon and another 10 mg at noon this is for the attention deficit hyper activity disorder., and abilify 15 mg a day for her mood swings and clonidine 2mg at night to help with sleep, and risperdal 2 and½ mg a day. To help with the bipolar. (See exhibit______ personal prescription print outs from Walgreen’s and CVS. We have to constantly watch her as she can become very abusive to her siblings. She sneaks off and we can’t find her. She gets up in the middle of the night and trashes the house. She has almost gotten kicked off the school bus due to her uncontrollable behaviors such as: hitting kids on the bus and threatening them. Due to her bipolar disorder she goes into crying fits for hours at a time. Her tantrums include kicking and screaming, breaking doors, putting holes in walls and she has broken our front window. She needs constant structure in her life. She takes medication to help her sleep at night. She has been in treatment at Streamwood Behavioral Hospital since 2003. She receives psychiatric services for prescriptions and therapy services for counseling. (See exhibit ____ letter from Dr. Leve concerning children and Exhibit____ from counselor bill ruffer .) She has also been in an intensive out-patient program and really likes working with her current counselor. She relates to him better than any other counselor of the past. She currently receives special services in school for her learning disabilities and behavioral problems. She was taken out of a regular education class room and put in a modified class about 67% of the day. I will include her Individual Education Plan (IEP) (See exhibit____). If we were to move to Mexico because my husband was not allowed to return to the United States this would cause a severe impact to her life and mine as she would rebel even more because her entire environment, schedule, and social group would be destroyed. These things are essential to treating her disorders. She has told my husband her dad, whom she normally doesn’t confide in, that she doesn’t want him to go to Mexico. She wants him at home.
Our 8-year-old daughter has the following conditions: learning disabilities, bipolar disorder, ADHD, anger issues, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, asthma and borderline QT syndrome witch is a cardiac condition.(See exhibit ________ print out of prolonged QT Syndrome from Medline plus And (See exhibit ______) of Transcripts from Dr. Leve talking about this condition of the heart. Rebecca is currently taking Adderall XR 30 mg in morning and 20 mg Amphetamine Salt (generic for regular adderall ) 1 In morning and 1 at noon and another 10 mg at noon for Attention Deficit Hyper activity Disorder she also takes clonidine 1mg 2 at bed to help with sleep and risperdal 1 mg a day total 3 ½,1 in morning half at noon and 2 at bed for her bipolar .She also takes 5 mg singular for her asthma and She has 2 inhalers 1 is flovent for her asthma and also takes albuterol through her breathing machine for asthma the other is ventolin for her chronic cough and Nasacort for her allergies and loratadine (Claritin) for her allergies. (See exhibit_____ ) :personal prescription info for Rebecca from Walgreen’s and CVS .)Also (See Exhibit ______ from family doctor Dr. Joesph .)She is also receiving 60% of her education outside of the regular education class room due to her anxiety and learning disabilities. I have also included a copy of her IEP( See exhibit_____). She receives treatment at Streamwood Behavioral Health Hospital for medication management with Dr ,Leve and her therapy services are with Janette Linsdey. (See Exhibit____ letter from Dr. Leve concerning children,)And Exhibit _____ from Janette Linsdey.) My daughter has such hard time with social anxiety in school and new place with new people. This is a big issue she works on in counseling. It took her almost two months to adjust to Janette and actually start talking to her. If we were to move to Mexico this would have such psychological affect on her that I don’t know what would happen. Most likely she would be completely unable to cope with anything because of her fear of new social circles. This behavior is extremely hard on me as I have to take her to the bathroom, go with to get her clothes for school in the morning, and stand there while she takes a shower. She still wets the bed because she won’t get up in the middle of the night to go as she is scared of imagined dangers. Due to her fear, she has to sleep in my room and she won’t even go into the kitchen even if she is hungry. This anxiety affects her in school. I have had to go to school several times over the past three years to calm her down or even bring her home. She gets very physically aggressive towards her siblings and she used to be physically aggressive to me, but not so much anymore. I have to watch her constantly as she hits her younger brother, who is 2. She listens to my husband but not to me. If my husband were gone for a long time this will be very hard on me as I will not know what to do for her behaviors. I am so used to him being there helping me, and I can see her taking advantage of his absence very quickly. This would not just affect me, but our whole household. The one thing I do not have to worry about with Rebecca is her running off as she is too scared. She barely leaves our porch. If she is out side, one of us has to be in her eyesight or she will start to scream. If my husband is not here I will have to tend to all of her issues by myself and with the others as well, I probably will breakdown.
Our 6-year-old son has bipolar disorder with psychotic features or hallucinations (schizophrenia is the same thing). (See exhibits_______ and _____ :letter from dr. Leve and Dr. hussain about Brandon’s condition .Also (See exhibit _______ letter from Janette Lindsey Brandon’s counselor,) Brandon is currently medicated with Strattera 18 mg for impulse control and Adderall XR 20 mg in morning and Amphetamine Salt 10 mg 1 in morning and 1 in after noon. For Attention Deficit Hyper activity Disorder he also takes risperdal 1 mg in morning and 1 at night to help with voices, and clonidine 1 mg at nigh to help with sleep. (See exhibit ______) personal prescription info from Walgreen’s and CVS. He hears voices in his head and the voices tell him to do bad things. Sometimes it gets so bad he beats his head to try and make it stop. This is heartbreaking for parents to watch your child go through and worry about his safety and yours. He was diagnosed after several events had occurred and we had to hospitalize him. One time they told him to light the house on fire so he took a wool sweater out of our clothes closet and put it on top of the lamp. He pulled the sweater over the light bulb and sat there as it started to smoke. The door was shut in the room so it was a long time before we had smelled it in the kitchen. Oscar found our son sitting there watching the smoke. It had just started sparking as my husband walked through the door. Oscar unplugged the lamp and screamed for some water. If we had have not smelled it when we did, the room would have started on fire with our son in it. About three weeks after the fire, my son tried to kill himself because the voices he hears told him to. They told him that it would be cool. I walked in the room as my son was laying on the floor with a belt wrapped around his neck, gasping for air. I hurried to undo the belt so that our son could finally start to catch his breath. If I would have not come in he would have died. My husband and I talked and decided this was not just an imaginary friend, this was serious. We admitted him to the hospital for treatment. The scary issue for us is that our son can not make the voices stop but the risperdal (his medication) helps this a lot. The counselor that he used to see told me to watch him closely because he is going to be a very good con artist when he is older. He used to manipulate that counselor so much that I had to request a different therapist as she was not helping him. He does not feel remorse in his actions. He laughs about them. One day he calls my neighbor lady a (F and B) word over and over in front of her face and laughed.(the voices he here told him to do this it is cool) She was in such shock she was speechless. He destroys things at school because the voices tell him to and he blames the acts on other children so he can see them get into trouble. He has had his crayons taken away because he colored the bathroom just because he was bored. He just laughs about these things. They don’t bother him. WE are currently testing him So we can get a master school plan and IEP in place before next year when he attends school all day. He has almost been hit by a bus and car about six times this year because he runs out in front of them because these voices tell him to because it’s funny. I have to watch him at night very closely he will get up and cook things in microwave and take knives and cut things. He will sneak outside in middle of night. We have had to hide all sharp objects for his safety and ours. The effects of all this is so hard to deal with, I feel guilty because it comes from my family. We have a history of mental illness. My husband’s family does not. I carry a huge burden for this. My son is heavily medicated just to get through the day as are my two older children. My son also sees the same psychiatrist as older children counselor as my 8 year old daughter.(Janette Lindsey) Without the help of Streamwood Behavioral Health Hospital and its staff, I don't know where or how my family would be right now with out them. That’s why it is so important for all of us to stay in the United States and continue treatment here. If not it would affect me extremely badly as My Bipolar disorder would act up severely and I would have to be put in the hospital ,and who would be here to care for my children.
Our youngest son, age two, has developmental disabilities and medicated with albuterol for asthma and loratadine (generic for Claritin)for allergies. (See exhibit _______) letter from Dr. Joseph and Exhibit _____ personal prescription info from Walgreen’s and CVS. He currently receives services through an early intervention program.(See Exhibit ____ Early Intervention Evaluations .) We have the services of a developmental therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, physical therapist and (speech therapist on waiting list for once a week) that all come to our house once a week to work with him. This has been happening since he was eight months old. He will also be starting a preschool play therapy group in July of 2008 when transportation is available to him. I will include his evaluations and his eligibility for these programs due to his disabilities in my exhibits. We are currently on waiting list for orthopedic doctor and medical diagnostic to see about braces for his legs and find out if his high tone comes from a slight case of cerebral palsy.
Moving to Mexico would also be hard on my daughter and youngest son due to the fact they have severe asthma and allergies. They cannot handle the heat and the climate in Mexico is very hot year round.. My 8-year-old also has a Border line heart condition which is called prolonged qt syndrome or long qt syndrome.
(See exhibit______ Transcriptions from Dr.Leve explaining she has Border line Prolonged QT syndrome this and are currently not going to put her on meds to control it .) I will include one of the psychiatrist transcriptions talking about this and
(See exhibit _____ page___ a print out explaining the Prolonged QT Syndrome condition in my exhibits.)
My husband is such important part of our lives and we need him. His not being allowed to come back to the United States in a timely manner will have a severe effect on our lives Mentally and emotionally. It’s hard for people having one child with a disability, can you imagine what it is like having four children with multiple disabilities?
Oscar not being here would also affect my mother, sister, and grandmother.
(See Exhibit ______and_______ letters from my Grandmother Judith Miles and Mother Rebecca Salazar explaining how this would effect them if Oscar was not allowed to return in timely manner .)
My mother has severe medical issues and my grandmother is getting older and has difficulty taking care of her needs. She and my mother count on my husband and myself to be there often to help them do things. My mother also has (Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Diabetes, Seizures, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic and Anxiety Disorder, Fibormyalgia, Bipolar disorder as well as Severe Depression. We are the only ones to help them.
Please see exhibit ________ : printout from NICHY about the 12 different diagnoses qualifying to be disabilities.
I am not asking for you to feel sorry for me, my husband, or our family. I am just asking that you make a fair decision. The above reasons are why my husband needs to return to the United States promptly.
Prescription Summary:
(See Exhibit ___________ for personal prescription printouts for Jessica/U.S.C. and Niqitia, Rebecca Brandon and Adan/ Children of U.S.C and applicant.)
Between my children and me, we have 28-34 prescriptions a month. These are covered by Medicaid due to the fact we all have medical conditions that require medication and are disabled. My husband’s insurance Blue Cross/Blue Shield would not accept us on their plan due to our pre existing conditions.
The cost for these prescriptions without Medicaid would be $3,828.20 in United States dollars.
In Mexico Medicare will not for pay our prescriptions. (See Exhibit______ print out from Social Security.Gov ) Prescriptions may be cheaper there but this would still be a huge cost for my husband to pay out of pocket. We need these medications for maintenance of are mental health conditions an every day life so there is no choice of stopping them as it would be detrimental to our health and progression.
I have included copies of the Medicaid cards for me and our children and a copy of my husband’s insurance cards. Personal prescription information with cost if not paid by Medicaid is highlighted for all medications.
Financial:
( See Exhibit _____________ ) :copy of our current lease agreement and Exhibit_______ letter from landlord Jim Kiss.)
(See Exhibit ________) :Notarized Letter From Judy Miles grandmother of (Jessica Garcia/U.S.C) Stating the responsibility of car payment and Car loan through Gmac is Jessica’s and Oscar’s .)
(See exhibit________): Print out From CIA WORLD FACT BOOK Page ___Highlighted area Mexico’s specific information.
(See Exhibit ________ )Printout from solutionsabroud.com about schooling Areas highlighted.
I hope you will please take into consideration the financial hardship to me if my husband, Oscar Garcia, was detained in Mexico for a long period of time. I do not work and have not worked since I was 17 years old due to my severe episodes of , continuing on and off depression and as well as my bipolar and anxiety disorder. I also do not work because I stay home to care for our four children each of whom have disabilities.( As Stated Above) For these reasons I need my husband to return to United States of America in a timely manner as I could not pay for our financial obligations.
The financial obligations we have are as follows: we are currently renting a duplex which we have a lease agreement that we are legally bound (See Exhibit _______) thus I need the income he brings in so our children and I have a place to live. I also count on my husband to pay for food, bills and other house hold items. We currently have a car payment for $438.49 a month that is due on the 11th of each month. (See Exhibit: ________Letter From GMAC )This is a loan that we got from GMAC with the help of my Grandmother, Judith Miles, (See Exhibit: ________Letter from Judy Miles )because Oscar and I could not get a loan our selves as Oscar does not have a social security number. The loan is our responsibility under the agreement with my grandmother. She agreed to cosign for us but we had to agree to make all payments on time and have them directly withdrawn from our bank account. (See Exhibit:________ bank statements with car payment out lined.)
If Oscar was not allowed to come back in a timely manner we would not be able to fulfill this agreement made with my grandmother, and if the car was repossessed it would make my grandmother’s and my credit bad. Without a car I would not be able to get my children to the therapy services and psychiatrist services they need, would not be able to get two of my children to school and I also would not be able to get to my therapy appointments and psychiatrist appointments.
Financially we could not live in Mexico due to the fact they have poor work wages and little opportunity for advancement as stated in the CIA WORLD FACT BOOK. (See Exhibit_____ page highlighted info.) My husband could not support six people on the low wages in Mexico. In Mexico we would have to pay for private school as our children do not speak Spanish. (See Exhibit ______)As stated from solutionsabroud.com this is the only option for children who’s mother language is not Spanish. So that would mean that tuition, books, meals, uniforms, transportation, would come from what he would make and also rent, food bills and other house hold cost. It would be impossible to survive. Tuition is very expensive (See Exhibit _______and Exhibit _________ Printouts from two different private schools that teach schooling in English and there cost per year per child.) The total for our four children would be ___________! Another financial responsibility in Mexico would be to pay for all of our medications for all of our medical problems. There are currently about 28 to 34 different prescriptions.(See exhibit _______ Walgreen’s and CVS prescription printouts highlighted area.) We would not qualify for medical insurance due to preexisting conditions. The cost with no insurance here in the United States comes to $ 3,828.20 US Dollars sometimes more. ( As stated Above) Even though medication is cheaper in Mexico it would still be an extreme amount of money to have to pay.
In the USA my husband has opportunities for advancement due to the fact he has been at his current job for almost seven years in September of 2008. (See Exhibit ________) Letter from husbands employer He also speaks English and Spanish which is an advantage in the United States.
So I am asking you to please take all of this into consideration because without my husband maintaining life for our family would be extremely hard for me.
Education:
(See Exhibit _________) Individual education plans for Niqitia, Rebecca, Brandon/Children to U.S.C. and applicant.)
See Exhibit ____Letter from Carry Simonsin special Education teacher at Dubuque university and close friend of Jessica Garcia’s /U.S.C. Grandmother Judy Miles.
Education is one of my highest concerns due to the fact that I have four children and they do not speak Spanish. As stated on Solutions Abroad .com the best English speaking schools are in big cities which my children are not used to. We currently live in a town of ________ (See Exhibit _______Carpentersville ILLINOIS profile.
I have read quite a few reports talking about the education in Mexico and it’s poor quality, as they do have the same type of programs it is not at the standards of the U.S.A, And in the public Schools they only teach Spanish. And my children do not speak Spanish. In private schooling You have to take A test so See if you Can learn at there level of standards and meet certain behavioral requirements ( See Exhibit ______And _________ print outs from Two private schools in Mexico.) As my children have mental disabilities that affect there schooling the chances that they would be excepted would probably be little to none and there learning disabilities would effect there level learning so that would not put them at there standards of acceptance level. I did find one school that excepts children with learning disabilities, (See Exhibit ____) print out from American school foundation but you have to pay extra apart from Tuition ,in the U.S.A We do not have to pay this.
I have two children currently receiving special education services in school due to the fact that they have behavioral problems and learning disabilities. See exhibits_____ and ________) as stated above. One of my children had to be moved to a different school so she could receive special modifications that she could not be in a normal size class room for second and third grade. She was in a class of eleven students with 1 teacher and 3 teacher’s assistants both years. Now currently for 4th grade she is in the same type of class room. This will be her classroom for 4th and 5th grade. She is in this type of classroom because she needs things to stay consistent and all of the extra help and modifications that this type of class can give her.
My second child also receives 60% of her education outside the normal classroom due to her learning disabilities, social anxiety and other special services like speech and social work. I do not have to pay for these services or special schooling. If we were to move to Mexico we would have to pay for private school for our 4 children and for transportation, food, uniforms, books and we can not find any thing that said the English speaking schools offer these special classes or if you have to pay extra money for these things. The information I found just stated that there were private schools that speak English. In the United State our local schools are English speaking which the children are used. If we were to move them to Mexico this could make their learning even harder for them because they do not deal well when it comes to change.
Here in the United State they each have a special team that works with them, decides their modifications, goals and any other thing that could help them progress to be successful graduates . Staying in the United States would be in our children’s best interest so they can receive the services they need educationally.
My third child is quite intelligent however he does have some mental illnesses that may interfere with his education in the future. We need to be near his psychiatrist so that when he has difficulties we can get him help immediately.
I also have a younger son that has developmental disabilities and he will be starting school in June or July of 2008 . They will help him with his speech and play therapy with other children. His therapist currently come to our house for his therapy. They help give him occupational therapy, developmental therapy, speech, social skills and physical therapy. These therapists come into our home as provided by the Early Intervention Program from birth to age 3 for children with disabilities. (See exhibit_____ )Letter from Amy Villanueva developmental therapist that comes to our home. I could not move my children to Mexico and take this away from them. As it would be extremely hard for me to see them suffer emotionally and mentally. I would have severe depression due to the fact that I would put my children in a situation where they would not receive the services they so desperately need at the quality they need them to get through life. At this point in time in their lives they are very fragile and such a move probably would cause pain and suffering to them as they don’t understand the language or the culture. (See exhibit _______from Solutions Abroud.com about culture shock. )Due to their disabilities it would be very difficult for them learn Spanish. It would be selfish of me and my husband to disrupt the lives of my children and put their mental and physical health in jeopardy.
So please consider these factors of extreme hardship to me (Jessica Garcia/U.S.C. )when making a decision for my husband, Oscar, to come home to the United States to be with me and our children and in a short amount of time. I need his help very badly in raising our for children. They love him dearly and would be lost without him. Oscar and I have worked so hard to provide a stable life for all of them. Please help us continue to do this.
Family Ties to the United States:
See Exhibits____ ________ _______ ______) Letters from Jessica’s family in support of waiver.
I would like to start by saying the my whole family lives in the United States about 2 1/2 hours to 6 hours at the most . My whole family and I are a very close knit family, especially my mother’s side as it is only my grandmother, my mother and my two younger sisters. My husband and I and our children spend at least two weekends out of every month with my mother and grandmother helping them with things around the house and getting the things done that they can’t, as well as just spending time with them. On the other weekends we usually have my dad’s family at our house or we go to theirs. We are very family orientated. We always have some reason to be together even when there is not a real reason except that we enjoy family. We are always going to the park, cooking out, going to the zoo, museum, plays, live performances on ice and puppet shows. Whatever it is - just being together and being with family is important to us. That shows our children good family values. If I were forced to move to Mexico to be with my husband I would because I could not live with out him. But if my children and I had to move to Mexico I probably would go into a severe depression because I would never get to see my family as they could not afford to travel to Mexico. Many have children and grandchildren they are supporting, and several have fixed incomes. So the cost of their travel would be too high and out of the question. My mother is on a fixed income because she is disabled, See Exhibit___ Copy of my mothers disability letter S.S.A )so we would never see each other and this would kill me. I live only 2 1/2 hours away and see her every other weekend almost and still have to talk to her 3-4 times a day sometimes more. My mother and I have an incredible bond. I am her biggest supporter and she can confide in me about anything. If I was to live in Mexico she could not call me nor could I call her because phone lines are not good and cost a lot of money and due to her fixed income this would be impossible. I could not be in Mexico it is way too far from my family the only family I have. Apart from this my children love going to see my grandmother and my mother. They spend most of the summer doing activities at their homes due to the fact that activities are cheaper up there. They take part in swimming, baseball, basketball, soccer, t-ball, and activities at the library, bible camp at 2 different times during the summer. Moving to Mexico would take these wonderful opportunities from them that they look forward to and enjoy so much. Due to my children’s mental health this would cause more stress to them and make it worse and this in return would be horrible on me as I would have all the repercussions of these action. It would destroy me as my kids and husband are my world and I could not choose between them. We have to stay together as a whole family – mother, father and children.
This would not only affect my life it would effect the life of my mother and grandmother as it helps them having my children around. It keeps my mom a little saner because she has something to look forward and it keeps my grandma busy so she just doesn't sit around and get depressed. (See Exhibit _____ Letter from Jessica’s mom Rebecca and grandmother Judy miles) I personally feel my children helped cope with the death of my grandpa by going there and showing mom and grandma that they needed to be strong for the children. I think you could ask any one who knows my grandmother and mother what my children mean to them and they would tell you the world. They talk about my children my husband and me all of the time. I constantly hear from my grandmother and mother’s friends how lucky they are to have Oscar and me and our children and how much we are appreciated by them.
Also I have my dad’s family. We are also very family orientated and close. We spend as much time as possible with them also. We usually spend 4th of July with them at my dad’s because this is when my whole family from my dad’s side of the family comes and spends the whole weekend together. We cook out every day, play in my dad’s giant pool, go to the fire works and play games in the yard. It's these family bonds and spending time that keep our family so close.
If I were to have to move to Mexico with my children so we could be with my husband I would in a heart beat but it would effect my life extremely because we would have none of this in Mexico. My children would forget who my family was here in the United States and it would destroy our family bond.
So please allow my husband to come home to me and my children in the United States in a timely manner as I need my husband and my children need their father. We want to continue instilling these family bonds in our children. I would have no family in Mexico but my children and my husband and every one needs their family.
Personal considerations:
First I would like to start out by saying I need my husband here in United States with me because we have four children with disabilities and I could not raise them alone.
My husband and I have one of the most special relationships. We always find the time for each other despite the fact we have four children with disabilities, him working long hours and our many medical appointments. We listen to each other when the other one has something to say.
I have not been apart from my husband since he has arrived in the United States like we would be apart all the while he is in Mexico. This will be the first time I will be missing half of my heart and soul. While he is in Mexico I have to stay strong for my children but this is going to be the most depressing time for me and my children that I cannot imagine how this disruption will affect us. We do every thing together as I have a bad anxiety problem and do not like to go out in public alone so 90% of the time my husband accompanies me wherever I go because I have very bad meltdowns and start to shake and think stupid things in my head. He goes with me to pick up our kids from school, get the mail and sometimes if it is a really hard day he just has me stay home and he will go get them. We take our kids to the park together and things like that. We are always together. I am very dependent on him as he helps me so much and no matter how crazy it seems sometimes he always makes me feel better and safe. My husband is my security and with him gone I will have such a hard time.
My children love their dad so much. They play basketball together. My husband is always teaching them soccer. they look forward to coming home and seeing their dad. We try to be the best parents possible. We try to correct the mistakes that were made when we were younger and show our children how much we love them.
When my husband leaves this is going to affect my children’s lives so bad that I cannot even imagine what is going to happen and how they will rebel. My husband cries to me all the time that he is afraid to leave our kids because he doesn’t want them to forget him if he has to stay in Mexico for a long time. He doesn't want them to think that he has left and is never coming back. This affects me so bad because I hate seeing my husband hurt. It destroys me but this is our only choice to make a better life for our family. My husband is my only mental, physical and emotional support in my immediate area. My other family is 2/12 to 6 hours away. I need my husband and my children need their father. Please allow him to come to United States in a timely manner so this will not cause too much disruption to our lives and his.
Special factors:
We currently live in a small town of Carpentersville, IL in the United States of America with about 35,000 thousand people maximum. If we were to move to Mexico we would have to move to a very large city as that is where there are English speaking schools. My children do not adjust well or handle change in their life. Moving my children would just be impossible especially for my second daughter who we can barely get to go to school in the morning . This type of change would effect all aspects of their lives dramatically and that would in turn affect mine.
Due to my children’s disabilities they need constant stability. Moving to Mexico we would have to start all over readjusting there. Our whole lives would be incredibly different and difficult. My children need therapy and psychiatry services all the time. I read on the travelstate.gov website that there have been several adolescent mental health facilities closed down due to health code violations and bankruptcies. See exhibit ___________ page _____highlighted ) I could not take the chance with my children and their need for services. They are attending one of the best mental health facilities in Illinois which is just for adolescents.
There is very bad pollution in Mexico City. See exhibit _______from CIA fact book page ______) My son, daughter and I have asthma. My daughter has it especially bad. Pollution would be very harmful to our health. The very hot weather would also be very difficult on our asthma. See Exhibit ________ letter from Dr. Joesph family doctor. My daughter especially rarely goes out during hot weather. She just can’t take the heat.
We could not feel safe in many parts of Mexico as there are so many warnings about kidnappings, violence and drug activities. As stated from the travel state.gov website under Mexico’s specific information See exhibit _____ page ______info highlighted.) I have to worry about the safety of my children and what is going to happen to them .I have to worry about riding on the bus and walking alone at night. Were we live there is a very low crime rate See exhibit _________page _____from printout on Carpentersville profile information.
Also stated on the travel state.gov website The medications in Mexico are not the safest. About 25% percent are fake( See exhibit _______ page ______from printout on Mexico’s specifics highlighted) and due to the fact I have 28-30 prescriptions to fill per month this would not be acceptable for my children or me. As I would be constantly worried about them getting sick or even dying from them.
The wages are low in Mexico so I worry how my husband would be able to support us and all of our needs. There are so many other reasons why we should not live in Mexico. I printed out the travel alert from travelstate.gov and Mexico’s specific information and highlighted the areas that concern me(see exhibit____ and ________) and why I could not live in Mexico. I did not type them all because that would be ten more pages. I figured it was best to highlight the concerns and you could read them. That way it would save you time in reviewing our application. There are things going on in Mexico that my children do not see in our little town in the United States. I could not think of the bad effect this would have on my children’s lives if they saw such things.
Please allow my husband to come back to us in a timely manner.
Conclusion
First I would like to thank you for reading our letters.
I believe that for all of the reasons stated but especially due to the mental health of myself and our children and the condition of my mother there is just cause to allow my husband, Oscar Garcia, to be allowed to return quickly to the United States. He needs to be with me and his children and his extended family. I can not manage raising our children alone. I need his support emotionally mentally and physically. If he is away too long, his absence will cause things to get detrimentally worse and cause severe depression to me and effect the lives of our children which would be extremely painful to me mentally and emotionally.
So thank you once again and I will await your decision.
Thank you,
Jessica Garcia
In support of I -601 waiver for my husband, Oscar Garcia - spouse of United States citizen
Oscar and I Jessica Garcia/U.S.C. met in 1997, and had our first daughter in august of 1998 When Oscar got here he lived with his sister , and our daughter and I were living with my mother because Oscar and I could not financially live on our own. Oscar would come see us every other day and usually the weekends he would spend with us. We ended up getting pregnant with our second daughter and had her in May 30, 2000. We continued living apart due to the fact we were trying to save money to get a place of our own.
Finally in May of 2001 we got our first apartment at 1175 spruce lane in Elgin IL near my mother. We were so excited but it was very different for us because we had never lived together. Oscar helped me finish school by watching our girls while I tried to study. When I got to the point that I wanted to give up he would always push me harder and tell me how much I needed my diploma. I finished and received my diploma in December, 2001 . Things were not always perfect but we always tried our best to make things work as we started out very young and inexperienced.
We ended up having our third child, a son, in February, 2002. This brought some trying times to us because two weeks after home from the hospital I kept saying that the baby was turning blue and it looked like he was not breathing. I took him in to the Emergency Room and he was immediately admitted in to the pediatric ICU unit where he spend a month. During that month Oscar proved just what a strong man he was and how much he loved our family and that he would do anything for us. Oscar took a couple of weeks off of work and we would alternate days at the hospital with my son so that at least one of us was at home for our daughters too. My mom would stay with my son one day so that Oscar and I could spend time with our girls together because they did not understand what was going on. That was one of the points in your life when you realize that you have to keep your faith no matter what and not knowing what was going to happen with our son. It made me and Oscar stronger as a couple and just made us realize we were going to do what ever it takes to do the best for our children.
My son was released from the hospital and soon after that it was fathers day we had went to my grandparent’s house where we would usually spend at least two weekends out of the month helping them. I remember this Father’s day all the time because we went to the Eagle Point Park in Dubuque, Iowa and cooked out. We took family pictures with my grandparents. This was the last holiday we spent with my grandpa as he passed away that September, 2002. We were very close to him so his passing was an extremely hard time for us. He liked Oscar so much and he always had Oscar doing some chores around the house. Oscar was the only male around to help and do these things.
When my grandpa passed away this was the hardest thing for my whole family to deal with. Many years prior to this we had lost my little brother when he was 5 1/2 months old (I was about 5). We lost one of the most important men in my life my Uncle Jimmy who meant the world to me because he was there for me when I was younger and my own father did not have the time.
One thing about my husband is that no matter what the situation he always tries to make me feel better and never gives up on me or our children . For these reasons Oscar is the most special person in my life and without him I don’t know where I would be today. Oscar is a very special person to my family’s life as he is the only grown adult male left in the maternal side of my family. He is counted on to do a lot of things to help my grandmother and my mother.
On June 18th, 2005 we were finally married in a little town in Wisconsin about 10 miles from where my grandmother lived. We figured it would be easier traveling for her as she had just had replacement surgery on her shoulder and it was also the halfway point for all of my other family. On our wedding day we had our three children baptized to make it more special. So the family was there for everything all at once. My husband and I talk all the time about how special our wedding was to us. We found the most wonderful pastor, Denise Anderson who helped us incorporate both cultures into our wedding because for us that was important. We did not want either side of our family feeling left out. All of our programs for the baptism and wedding were in Spanish and English and the ceremony also was in Spanish and English. We cooked most of the food the night before the wedding so that there was Mexican food and American food so both sides of the family could enjoy the meal. We think by doing these things it made our wedding so special because of all the special things that were added to make it unique. We also made sure that some one taped our wedding to make sure that Oscar’s mother could see it because she was not there to enjoy the moment. This was hard for Oscar as he has not seen his mother since September, 1998 when he came to the United States.
We had our fourth child, another son, in May of 2006. He was also born a month early due to the fact that my kidneys were shutting down and I was sick and vomiting all the time. During that period of time that I was in the hospital Oscar had to take some days off of work to take care of our other children because they had school and stuff. This made Oscar realize how hard a job it is to take care of our kids all of whom have disabilities including our youngest son.
So for these reasons I ask you to allow him to come back to us in a timely fashion as I cannot raise all four of our children with each of whom have disabilities. Oscar is my only mental support and emotional support in my immediate area. I do not have friends here and my family is at least 2 1/2 hours away. And I am not emotionally or physically able to do this alone it would be impossible.
See Exhibits( )copies of our children’s birth certificates and Oscar and Jessica’s Marriage License .
Health:
This will be the biggest part of my hardship letter.
(See Exhibit ___________ From Dr. Martin (Jessica’s /U.S.C. ) Physiatrist
(See Exhibit ___________ From Eva Powers (Jessica’s /U.S.C. ) Counselor
I would like to start out about me, Jessica, Oscar’s wife. I have bipolar and have suffered from severe depression since I was very young. I currently am taking Sertraline 100mg (generic for Zoloft) one in morning and 1 at night for depression and Bupropion SR 150mg ( generic for wellbutrin)once in morning and once at night, for depression and Lamictal 100 MG 2per day for mood swings and nascort for allergies and singular 10 mg for asthma and allergies.(See exhibit_______) :personal prescription printout from Walgreen’s. Several unfortunate events have taken place in my life to make my condition much worse. I was sexually molested, my brother passed away, my Uncle Jimmy, who was like a dad to me, was killed, and I lost my grandpa in 2002. I have lost so many men in my life that if my husband was to have to stay in Mexico for a long period of time, it would be like me losing him, as well.
I have had this mental health condition ( Bipolar II disorder) witch effects my life very badly at times. That’s why I need to stay in treatment and on my medication. I have been seeing my current psychiatrist for about 10 years. She knows me very well and this helps keep me on track because she knows what is working the best for me. (See Exhibit _____ from Dr.Martin Jessica/U.S.C. physiatrist) I have suffered from severe depression on and off and have bipolar disorder which causes me to have Manic episodes - one minute I can be happy and the next just break out in tears and screaming. I have very bad anxiety around other people and especially about going to public places by myself. That is why Oscar accompanies me almost everywhere to help me with this. At first this affected Oscar’s and my relationship because he did not understand what was going on, But he was willing to read something’s I brought from the doctor about bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder, and understood more about it and was willing to accept it no matter how hard it has been or how hard it is or gets. He has never left me despite the fact that I have tried to push him away during my episodes when I was severely depressed and didn’t want to get out of bed or in my extreme out burst of rage as they can get very bad at times , But he has always made sure that I know he will always be there. This is what makes me need my husband so much more, he is such a big support to me concerning the issues with my bipolar disorder and knows how to comfort me and help me through these severe ups and downs. When he is away there will be no one to help me through this. My husband being in Mexico is going to be very hard and devastating to me and my children.. I was in several different treatment centers when I was younger. I had alcohol, drug and behavioral problems.
My husband has stuck by my side and no matter how bad circumstances get, he is always there for me 100%: emotionally, mentally, and physically. My life changed because of Oscar, he made it better and made me believe in myself. That’s what makes it so important for my husband to be here ,in U.S.
The medication helps me get through daily life and helps me deal with the rough situation of having 4 children with disabilities. I could not do this alone without my husband. It takes two people that are as committed as my husband and I are to care for them. My husband takes care of our children so I can go to my psychiatrist and therapy ( See Exhibit ______letter from my therapist Eva Powers ) appointments needed for my sanity and my family’s health. If he was not here, I will not be able to attend maintenance appointments. I do not have friends to rely on to, watch our children only my husband, in our immediate area.
If I do not go to my appointments I cannot receive the prescriptions for medications to treat my conditions. This would be very bad for me and my family because I would probably have to be committed in to the hospital.. I also need the therapy appointments to sort through past issues that might affect my future progress. Maintenance appointments help me to keep going through this difficult immigration process, not knowing what the future holds for me and my family and realizing that I can’t make the decision, that some one else makes the decision on how your life’s going to be. This is extremely scary to me and I always call my mother crying because the immigration process is extremely difficult to handle. I don’t want my husband to feel bad. Papers or no papers, it’s never going to change the way I feel about my husband, and I know my husband is a good provider and will be a positive influence on everyone around us.
Concerns to my children’s Mental Health:
As I stated earlier in my letter, we have four children who have disabilities and caring for them is very difficult. If my husband was not here to help, this would be extremely hard. We struggle together. I can’t imagine doing it alone for a long period of time.
(See exhibit _________) : Letter from Dr.Rena Goodfriend Leve M.D. Physiatrist Specializing in Children and Adolescents . For Niqitia, Rebecca, and Brandon children of Jessica/U.S.C and Oscar/Applicant.
(See exhibit _______) : Letter From Janette Lindsey counselor for Rebecca and Brandon .(Children of U.S.C and Applicant)
(See exhibit________) : Letter From Bill Ruffer Counselor for Niqitia (Daughter of U.S.C. and applicant.)
( See exhibit_______): copies of Individual Education Plans for special education and learning disabilities for Niqitia and Rebecca (Children of U.S.C. and applicant.)
See Exhibit______ ) :letter from Pastor Denise Anderson concerning our mental health conditions.
Our oldest daughter will be ten in August. She has learning disabilities, is bipolar disorder and (ADHD), impulse control disorder, and shows signs of obsessive compulsive disorder. She is currently medicated with Adderall XR 30mg morning, and Amphetamine Salt 20mg, (Generic for adderall)1 in morning and 1 at noon and another 10 mg at noon this is for the attention deficit hyper activity disorder., and abilify 15 mg a day for her mood swings and clonidine 2mg at night to help with sleep, and risperdal 2 and½ mg a day. To help with the bipolar. (See exhibit______ personal prescription print outs from Walgreen’s and CVS. We have to constantly watch her as she can become very abusive to her siblings. She sneaks off and we can’t find her. She gets up in the middle of the night and trashes the house. She has almost gotten kicked off the school bus due to her uncontrollable behaviors such as: hitting kids on the bus and threatening them. Due to her bipolar disorder she goes into crying fits for hours at a time. Her tantrums include kicking and screaming, breaking doors, putting holes in walls and she has broken our front window. She needs constant structure in her life. She takes medication to help her sleep at night. She has been in treatment at Streamwood Behavioral Hospital since 2003. She receives psychiatric services for prescriptions and therapy services for counseling. (See exhibit ____ letter from Dr. Leve concerning children and Exhibit____ from counselor bill ruffer .) She has also been in an intensive out-patient program and really likes working with her current counselor. She relates to him better than any other counselor of the past. She currently receives special services in school for her learning disabilities and behavioral problems. She was taken out of a regular education class room and put in a modified class about 67% of the day. I will include her Individual Education Plan (IEP) (See exhibit____). If we were to move to Mexico because my husband was not allowed to return to the United States this would cause a severe impact to her life and mine as she would rebel even more because her entire environment, schedule, and social group would be destroyed. These things are essential to treating her disorders. She has told my husband her dad, whom she normally doesn’t confide in, that she doesn’t want him to go to Mexico. She wants him at home.
Our 8-year-old daughter has the following conditions: learning disabilities, bipolar disorder, ADHD, anger issues, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, asthma and borderline QT syndrome witch is a cardiac condition.(See exhibit ________ print out of prolonged QT Syndrome from Medline plus And (See exhibit ______) of Transcripts from Dr. Leve talking about this condition of the heart. Rebecca is currently taking Adderall XR 30 mg in morning and 20 mg Amphetamine Salt (generic for regular adderall ) 1 In morning and 1 at noon and another 10 mg at noon for Attention Deficit Hyper activity Disorder she also takes clonidine 1mg 2 at bed to help with sleep and risperdal 1 mg a day total 3 ½,1 in morning half at noon and 2 at bed for her bipolar .She also takes 5 mg singular for her asthma and She has 2 inhalers 1 is flovent for her asthma and also takes albuterol through her breathing machine for asthma the other is ventolin for her chronic cough and Nasacort for her allergies and loratadine (Claritin) for her allergies. (See exhibit_____ ) :personal prescription info for Rebecca from Walgreen’s and CVS .)Also (See Exhibit ______ from family doctor Dr. Joesph .)She is also receiving 60% of her education outside of the regular education class room due to her anxiety and learning disabilities. I have also included a copy of her IEP( See exhibit_____). She receives treatment at Streamwood Behavioral Health Hospital for medication management with Dr ,Leve and her therapy services are with Janette Linsdey. (See Exhibit____ letter from Dr. Leve concerning children,)And Exhibit _____ from Janette Linsdey.) My daughter has such hard time with social anxiety in school and new place with new people. This is a big issue she works on in counseling. It took her almost two months to adjust to Janette and actually start talking to her. If we were to move to Mexico this would have such psychological affect on her that I don’t know what would happen. Most likely she would be completely unable to cope with anything because of her fear of new social circles. This behavior is extremely hard on me as I have to take her to the bathroom, go with to get her clothes for school in the morning, and stand there while she takes a shower. She still wets the bed because she won’t get up in the middle of the night to go as she is scared of imagined dangers. Due to her fear, she has to sleep in my room and she won’t even go into the kitchen even if she is hungry. This anxiety affects her in school. I have had to go to school several times over the past three years to calm her down or even bring her home. She gets very physically aggressive towards her siblings and she used to be physically aggressive to me, but not so much anymore. I have to watch her constantly as she hits her younger brother, who is 2. She listens to my husband but not to me. If my husband were gone for a long time this will be very hard on me as I will not know what to do for her behaviors. I am so used to him being there helping me, and I can see her taking advantage of his absence very quickly. This would not just affect me, but our whole household. The one thing I do not have to worry about with Rebecca is her running off as she is too scared. She barely leaves our porch. If she is out side, one of us has to be in her eyesight or she will start to scream. If my husband is not here I will have to tend to all of her issues by myself and with the others as well, I probably will breakdown.
Our 6-year-old son has bipolar disorder with psychotic features or hallucinations (schizophrenia is the same thing). (See exhibits_______ and _____ :letter from dr. Leve and Dr. hussain about Brandon’s condition .Also (See exhibit _______ letter from Janette Lindsey Brandon’s counselor,) Brandon is currently medicated with Strattera 18 mg for impulse control and Adderall XR 20 mg in morning and Amphetamine Salt 10 mg 1 in morning and 1 in after noon. For Attention Deficit Hyper activity Disorder he also takes risperdal 1 mg in morning and 1 at night to help with voices, and clonidine 1 mg at nigh to help with sleep. (See exhibit ______) personal prescription info from Walgreen’s and CVS. He hears voices in his head and the voices tell him to do bad things. Sometimes it gets so bad he beats his head to try and make it stop. This is heartbreaking for parents to watch your child go through and worry about his safety and yours. He was diagnosed after several events had occurred and we had to hospitalize him. One time they told him to light the house on fire so he took a wool sweater out of our clothes closet and put it on top of the lamp. He pulled the sweater over the light bulb and sat there as it started to smoke. The door was shut in the room so it was a long time before we had smelled it in the kitchen. Oscar found our son sitting there watching the smoke. It had just started sparking as my husband walked through the door. Oscar unplugged the lamp and screamed for some water. If we had have not smelled it when we did, the room would have started on fire with our son in it. About three weeks after the fire, my son tried to kill himself because the voices he hears told him to. They told him that it would be cool. I walked in the room as my son was laying on the floor with a belt wrapped around his neck, gasping for air. I hurried to undo the belt so that our son could finally start to catch his breath. If I would have not come in he would have died. My husband and I talked and decided this was not just an imaginary friend, this was serious. We admitted him to the hospital for treatment. The scary issue for us is that our son can not make the voices stop but the risperdal (his medication) helps this a lot. The counselor that he used to see told me to watch him closely because he is going to be a very good con artist when he is older. He used to manipulate that counselor so much that I had to request a different therapist as she was not helping him. He does not feel remorse in his actions. He laughs about them. One day he calls my neighbor lady a (F and B) word over and over in front of her face and laughed.(the voices he here told him to do this it is cool) She was in such shock she was speechless. He destroys things at school because the voices tell him to and he blames the acts on other children so he can see them get into trouble. He has had his crayons taken away because he colored the bathroom just because he was bored. He just laughs about these things. They don’t bother him. WE are currently testing him So we can get a master school plan and IEP in place before next year when he attends school all day. He has almost been hit by a bus and car about six times this year because he runs out in front of them because these voices tell him to because it’s funny. I have to watch him at night very closely he will get up and cook things in microwave and take knives and cut things. He will sneak outside in middle of night. We have had to hide all sharp objects for his safety and ours. The effects of all this is so hard to deal with, I feel guilty because it comes from my family. We have a history of mental illness. My husband’s family does not. I carry a huge burden for this. My son is heavily medicated just to get through the day as are my two older children. My son also sees the same psychiatrist as older children counselor as my 8 year old daughter.(Janette Lindsey) Without the help of Streamwood Behavioral Health Hospital and its staff, I don't know where or how my family would be right now with out them. That’s why it is so important for all of us to stay in the United States and continue treatment here. If not it would affect me extremely badly as My Bipolar disorder would act up severely and I would have to be put in the hospital ,and who would be here to care for my children.
Our youngest son, age two, has developmental disabilities and medicated with albuterol for asthma and loratadine (generic for Claritin)for allergies. (See exhibit _______) letter from Dr. Joseph and Exhibit _____ personal prescription info from Walgreen’s and CVS. He currently receives services through an early intervention program.(See Exhibit ____ Early Intervention Evaluations .) We have the services of a developmental therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, physical therapist and (speech therapist on waiting list for once a week) that all come to our house once a week to work with him. This has been happening since he was eight months old. He will also be starting a preschool play therapy group in July of 2008 when transportation is available to him. I will include his evaluations and his eligibility for these programs due to his disabilities in my exhibits. We are currently on waiting list for orthopedic doctor and medical diagnostic to see about braces for his legs and find out if his high tone comes from a slight case of cerebral palsy.
Moving to Mexico would also be hard on my daughter and youngest son due to the fact they have severe asthma and allergies. They cannot handle the heat and the climate in Mexico is very hot year round.. My 8-year-old also has a Border line heart condition which is called prolonged qt syndrome or long qt syndrome.
(See exhibit______ Transcriptions from Dr.Leve explaining she has Border line Prolonged QT syndrome this and are currently not going to put her on meds to control it .) I will include one of the psychiatrist transcriptions talking about this and
(See exhibit _____ page___ a print out explaining the Prolonged QT Syndrome condition in my exhibits.)
My husband is such important part of our lives and we need him. His not being allowed to come back to the United States in a timely manner will have a severe effect on our lives Mentally and emotionally. It’s hard for people having one child with a disability, can you imagine what it is like having four children with multiple disabilities?
Oscar not being here would also affect my mother, sister, and grandmother.
(See Exhibit ______and_______ letters from my Grandmother Judith Miles and Mother Rebecca Salazar explaining how this would effect them if Oscar was not allowed to return in timely manner .)
My mother has severe medical issues and my grandmother is getting older and has difficulty taking care of her needs. She and my mother count on my husband and myself to be there often to help them do things. My mother also has (Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Diabetes, Seizures, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic and Anxiety Disorder, Fibormyalgia, Bipolar disorder as well as Severe Depression. We are the only ones to help them.
Please see exhibit ________ : printout from NICHY about the 12 different diagnoses qualifying to be disabilities.
I am not asking for you to feel sorry for me, my husband, or our family. I am just asking that you make a fair decision. The above reasons are why my husband needs to return to the United States promptly.
Prescription Summary:
(See Exhibit ___________ for personal prescription printouts for Jessica/U.S.C. and Niqitia, Rebecca Brandon and Adan/ Children of U.S.C and applicant.)
Between my children and me, we have 28-34 prescriptions a month. These are covered by Medicaid due to the fact we all have medical conditions that require medication and are disabled. My husband’s insurance Blue Cross/Blue Shield would not accept us on their plan due to our pre existing conditions.
The cost for these prescriptions without Medicaid would be $3,828.20 in United States dollars.
In Mexico Medicare will not for pay our prescriptions. (See Exhibit______ print out from Social Security.Gov ) Prescriptions may be cheaper there but this would still be a huge cost for my husband to pay out of pocket. We need these medications for maintenance of are mental health conditions an every day life so there is no choice of stopping them as it would be detrimental to our health and progression.
I have included copies of the Medicaid cards for me and our children and a copy of my husband’s insurance cards. Personal prescription information with cost if not paid by Medicaid is highlighted for all medications.
Financial:
( See Exhibit _____________ ) :copy of our current lease agreement and Exhibit_______ letter from landlord Jim Kiss.)
(See Exhibit ________) :Notarized Letter From Judy Miles grandmother of (Jessica Garcia/U.S.C) Stating the responsibility of car payment and Car loan through Gmac is Jessica’s and Oscar’s .)
(See exhibit________): Print out From CIA WORLD FACT BOOK Page ___Highlighted area Mexico’s specific information.
(See Exhibit ________ )Printout from solutionsabroud.com about schooling Areas highlighted.
I hope you will please take into consideration the financial hardship to me if my husband, Oscar Garcia, was detained in Mexico for a long period of time. I do not work and have not worked since I was 17 years old due to my severe episodes of , continuing on and off depression and as well as my bipolar and anxiety disorder. I also do not work because I stay home to care for our four children each of whom have disabilities.( As Stated Above) For these reasons I need my husband to return to United States of America in a timely manner as I could not pay for our financial obligations.
The financial obligations we have are as follows: we are currently renting a duplex which we have a lease agreement that we are legally bound (See Exhibit _______) thus I need the income he brings in so our children and I have a place to live. I also count on my husband to pay for food, bills and other house hold items. We currently have a car payment for $438.49 a month that is due on the 11th of each month. (See Exhibit: ________Letter From GMAC )This is a loan that we got from GMAC with the help of my Grandmother, Judith Miles, (See Exhibit: ________Letter from Judy Miles )because Oscar and I could not get a loan our selves as Oscar does not have a social security number. The loan is our responsibility under the agreement with my grandmother. She agreed to cosign for us but we had to agree to make all payments on time and have them directly withdrawn from our bank account. (See Exhibit:________ bank statements with car payment out lined.)
If Oscar was not allowed to come back in a timely manner we would not be able to fulfill this agreement made with my grandmother, and if the car was repossessed it would make my grandmother’s and my credit bad. Without a car I would not be able to get my children to the therapy services and psychiatrist services they need, would not be able to get two of my children to school and I also would not be able to get to my therapy appointments and psychiatrist appointments.
Financially we could not live in Mexico due to the fact they have poor work wages and little opportunity for advancement as stated in the CIA WORLD FACT BOOK. (See Exhibit_____ page highlighted info.) My husband could not support six people on the low wages in Mexico. In Mexico we would have to pay for private school as our children do not speak Spanish. (See Exhibit ______)As stated from solutionsabroud.com this is the only option for children who’s mother language is not Spanish. So that would mean that tuition, books, meals, uniforms, transportation, would come from what he would make and also rent, food bills and other house hold cost. It would be impossible to survive. Tuition is very expensive (See Exhibit _______and Exhibit _________ Printouts from two different private schools that teach schooling in English and there cost per year per child.) The total for our four children would be ___________! Another financial responsibility in Mexico would be to pay for all of our medications for all of our medical problems. There are currently about 28 to 34 different prescriptions.(See exhibit _______ Walgreen’s and CVS prescription printouts highlighted area.) We would not qualify for medical insurance due to preexisting conditions. The cost with no insurance here in the United States comes to $ 3,828.20 US Dollars sometimes more. ( As stated Above) Even though medication is cheaper in Mexico it would still be an extreme amount of money to have to pay.
In the USA my husband has opportunities for advancement due to the fact he has been at his current job for almost seven years in September of 2008. (See Exhibit ________) Letter from husbands employer He also speaks English and Spanish which is an advantage in the United States.
So I am asking you to please take all of this into consideration because without my husband maintaining life for our family would be extremely hard for me.
Education:
(See Exhibit _________) Individual education plans for Niqitia, Rebecca, Brandon/Children to U.S.C. and applicant.)
See Exhibit ____Letter from Carry Simonsin special Education teacher at Dubuque university and close friend of Jessica Garcia’s /U.S.C. Grandmother Judy Miles.
Education is one of my highest concerns due to the fact that I have four children and they do not speak Spanish. As stated on Solutions Abroad .com the best English speaking schools are in big cities which my children are not used to. We currently live in a town of ________ (See Exhibit _______Carpentersville ILLINOIS profile.
I have read quite a few reports talking about the education in Mexico and it’s poor quality, as they do have the same type of programs it is not at the standards of the U.S.A, And in the public Schools they only teach Spanish. And my children do not speak Spanish. In private schooling You have to take A test so See if you Can learn at there level of standards and meet certain behavioral requirements ( See Exhibit ______And _________ print outs from Two private schools in Mexico.) As my children have mental disabilities that affect there schooling the chances that they would be excepted would probably be little to none and there learning disabilities would effect there level learning so that would not put them at there standards of acceptance level. I did find one school that excepts children with learning disabilities, (See Exhibit ____) print out from American school foundation but you have to pay extra apart from Tuition ,in the U.S.A We do not have to pay this.
I have two children currently receiving special education services in school due to the fact that they have behavioral problems and learning disabilities. See exhibits_____ and ________) as stated above. One of my children had to be moved to a different school so she could receive special modifications that she could not be in a normal size class room for second and third grade. She was in a class of eleven students with 1 teacher and 3 teacher’s assistants both years. Now currently for 4th grade she is in the same type of class room. This will be her classroom for 4th and 5th grade. She is in this type of classroom because she needs things to stay consistent and all of the extra help and modifications that this type of class can give her.
My second child also receives 60% of her education outside the normal classroom due to her learning disabilities, social anxiety and other special services like speech and social work. I do not have to pay for these services or special schooling. If we were to move to Mexico we would have to pay for private school for our 4 children and for transportation, food, uniforms, books and we can not find any thing that said the English speaking schools offer these special classes or if you have to pay extra money for these things. The information I found just stated that there were private schools that speak English. In the United State our local schools are English speaking which the children are used. If we were to move them to Mexico this could make their learning even harder for them because they do not deal well when it comes to change.
Here in the United State they each have a special team that works with them, decides their modifications, goals and any other thing that could help them progress to be successful graduates . Staying in the United States would be in our children’s best interest so they can receive the services they need educationally.
My third child is quite intelligent however he does have some mental illnesses that may interfere with his education in the future. We need to be near his psychiatrist so that when he has difficulties we can get him help immediately.
I also have a younger son that has developmental disabilities and he will be starting school in June or July of 2008 . They will help him with his speech and play therapy with other children. His therapist currently come to our house for his therapy. They help give him occupational therapy, developmental therapy, speech, social skills and physical therapy. These therapists come into our home as provided by the Early Intervention Program from birth to age 3 for children with disabilities. (See exhibit_____ )Letter from Amy Villanueva developmental therapist that comes to our home. I could not move my children to Mexico and take this away from them. As it would be extremely hard for me to see them suffer emotionally and mentally. I would have severe depression due to the fact that I would put my children in a situation where they would not receive the services they so desperately need at the quality they need them to get through life. At this point in time in their lives they are very fragile and such a move probably would cause pain and suffering to them as they don’t understand the language or the culture. (See exhibit _______from Solutions Abroud.com about culture shock. )Due to their disabilities it would be very difficult for them learn Spanish. It would be selfish of me and my husband to disrupt the lives of my children and put their mental and physical health in jeopardy.
So please consider these factors of extreme hardship to me (Jessica Garcia/U.S.C. )when making a decision for my husband, Oscar, to come home to the United States to be with me and our children and in a short amount of time. I need his help very badly in raising our for children. They love him dearly and would be lost without him. Oscar and I have worked so hard to provide a stable life for all of them. Please help us continue to do this.
Family Ties to the United States:
See Exhibits____ ________ _______ ______) Letters from Jessica’s family in support of waiver.
I would like to start by saying the my whole family lives in the United States about 2 1/2 hours to 6 hours at the most . My whole family and I are a very close knit family, especially my mother’s side as it is only my grandmother, my mother and my two younger sisters. My husband and I and our children spend at least two weekends out of every month with my mother and grandmother helping them with things around the house and getting the things done that they can’t, as well as just spending time with them. On the other weekends we usually have my dad’s family at our house or we go to theirs. We are very family orientated. We always have some reason to be together even when there is not a real reason except that we enjoy family. We are always going to the park, cooking out, going to the zoo, museum, plays, live performances on ice and puppet shows. Whatever it is - just being together and being with family is important to us. That shows our children good family values. If I were forced to move to Mexico to be with my husband I would because I could not live with out him. But if my children and I had to move to Mexico I probably would go into a severe depression because I would never get to see my family as they could not afford to travel to Mexico. Many have children and grandchildren they are supporting, and several have fixed incomes. So the cost of their travel would be too high and out of the question. My mother is on a fixed income because she is disabled, See Exhibit___ Copy of my mothers disability letter S.S.A )so we would never see each other and this would kill me. I live only 2 1/2 hours away and see her every other weekend almost and still have to talk to her 3-4 times a day sometimes more. My mother and I have an incredible bond. I am her biggest supporter and she can confide in me about anything. If I was to live in Mexico she could not call me nor could I call her because phone lines are not good and cost a lot of money and due to her fixed income this would be impossible. I could not be in Mexico it is way too far from my family the only family I have. Apart from this my children love going to see my grandmother and my mother. They spend most of the summer doing activities at their homes due to the fact that activities are cheaper up there. They take part in swimming, baseball, basketball, soccer, t-ball, and activities at the library, bible camp at 2 different times during the summer. Moving to Mexico would take these wonderful opportunities from them that they look forward to and enjoy so much. Due to my children’s mental health this would cause more stress to them and make it worse and this in return would be horrible on me as I would have all the repercussions of these action. It would destroy me as my kids and husband are my world and I could not choose between them. We have to stay together as a whole family – mother, father and children.
This would not only affect my life it would effect the life of my mother and grandmother as it helps them having my children around. It keeps my mom a little saner because she has something to look forward and it keeps my grandma busy so she just doesn't sit around and get depressed. (See Exhibit _____ Letter from Jessica’s mom Rebecca and grandmother Judy miles) I personally feel my children helped cope with the death of my grandpa by going there and showing mom and grandma that they needed to be strong for the children. I think you could ask any one who knows my grandmother and mother what my children mean to them and they would tell you the world. They talk about my children my husband and me all of the time. I constantly hear from my grandmother and mother’s friends how lucky they are to have Oscar and me and our children and how much we are appreciated by them.
Also I have my dad’s family. We are also very family orientated and close. We spend as much time as possible with them also. We usually spend 4th of July with them at my dad’s because this is when my whole family from my dad’s side of the family comes and spends the whole weekend together. We cook out every day, play in my dad’s giant pool, go to the fire works and play games in the yard. It's these family bonds and spending time that keep our family so close.
If I were to have to move to Mexico with my children so we could be with my husband I would in a heart beat but it would effect my life extremely because we would have none of this in Mexico. My children would forget who my family was here in the United States and it would destroy our family bond.
So please allow my husband to come home to me and my children in the United States in a timely manner as I need my husband and my children need their father. We want to continue instilling these family bonds in our children. I would have no family in Mexico but my children and my husband and every one needs their family.
Personal considerations:
First I would like to start out by saying I need my husband here in United States with me because we have four children with disabilities and I could not raise them alone.
My husband and I have one of the most special relationships. We always find the time for each other despite the fact we have four children with disabilities, him working long hours and our many medical appointments. We listen to each other when the other one has something to say.
I have not been apart from my husband since he has arrived in the United States like we would be apart all the while he is in Mexico. This will be the first time I will be missing half of my heart and soul. While he is in Mexico I have to stay strong for my children but this is going to be the most depressing time for me and my children that I cannot imagine how this disruption will affect us. We do every thing together as I have a bad anxiety problem and do not like to go out in public alone so 90% of the time my husband accompanies me wherever I go because I have very bad meltdowns and start to shake and think stupid things in my head. He goes with me to pick up our kids from school, get the mail and sometimes if it is a really hard day he just has me stay home and he will go get them. We take our kids to the park together and things like that. We are always together. I am very dependent on him as he helps me so much and no matter how crazy it seems sometimes he always makes me feel better and safe. My husband is my security and with him gone I will have such a hard time.
My children love their dad so much. They play basketball together. My husband is always teaching them soccer. they look forward to coming home and seeing their dad. We try to be the best parents possible. We try to correct the mistakes that were made when we were younger and show our children how much we love them.
When my husband leaves this is going to affect my children’s lives so bad that I cannot even imagine what is going to happen and how they will rebel. My husband cries to me all the time that he is afraid to leave our kids because he doesn’t want them to forget him if he has to stay in Mexico for a long time. He doesn't want them to think that he has left and is never coming back. This affects me so bad because I hate seeing my husband hurt. It destroys me but this is our only choice to make a better life for our family. My husband is my only mental, physical and emotional support in my immediate area. My other family is 2/12 to 6 hours away. I need my husband and my children need their father. Please allow him to come to United States in a timely manner so this will not cause too much disruption to our lives and his.
Special factors:
We currently live in a small town of Carpentersville, IL in the United States of America with about 35,000 thousand people maximum. If we were to move to Mexico we would have to move to a very large city as that is where there are English speaking schools. My children do not adjust well or handle change in their life. Moving my children would just be impossible especially for my second daughter who we can barely get to go to school in the morning . This type of change would effect all aspects of their lives dramatically and that would in turn affect mine.
Due to my children’s disabilities they need constant stability. Moving to Mexico we would have to start all over readjusting there. Our whole lives would be incredibly different and difficult. My children need therapy and psychiatry services all the time. I read on the travelstate.gov website that there have been several adolescent mental health facilities closed down due to health code violations and bankruptcies. See exhibit ___________ page _____highlighted ) I could not take the chance with my children and their need for services. They are attending one of the best mental health facilities in Illinois which is just for adolescents.
There is very bad pollution in Mexico City. See exhibit _______from CIA fact book page ______) My son, daughter and I have asthma. My daughter has it especially bad. Pollution would be very harmful to our health. The very hot weather would also be very difficult on our asthma. See Exhibit ________ letter from Dr. Joesph family doctor. My daughter especially rarely goes out during hot weather. She just can’t take the heat.
We could not feel safe in many parts of Mexico as there are so many warnings about kidnappings, violence and drug activities. As stated from the travel state.gov website under Mexico’s specific information See exhibit _____ page ______info highlighted.) I have to worry about the safety of my children and what is going to happen to them .I have to worry about riding on the bus and walking alone at night. Were we live there is a very low crime rate See exhibit _________page _____from printout on Carpentersville profile information.
Also stated on the travel state.gov website The medications in Mexico are not the safest. About 25% percent are fake( See exhibit _______ page ______from printout on Mexico’s specifics highlighted) and due to the fact I have 28-30 prescriptions to fill per month this would not be acceptable for my children or me. As I would be constantly worried about them getting sick or even dying from them.
The wages are low in Mexico so I worry how my husband would be able to support us and all of our needs. There are so many other reasons why we should not live in Mexico. I printed out the travel alert from travelstate.gov and Mexico’s specific information and highlighted the areas that concern me(see exhibit____ and ________) and why I could not live in Mexico. I did not type them all because that would be ten more pages. I figured it was best to highlight the concerns and you could read them. That way it would save you time in reviewing our application. There are things going on in Mexico that my children do not see in our little town in the United States. I could not think of the bad effect this would have on my children’s lives if they saw such things.
Please allow my husband to come back to us in a timely manner.
Conclusion
First I would like to thank you for reading our letters.
I believe that for all of the reasons stated but especially due to the mental health of myself and our children and the condition of my mother there is just cause to allow my husband, Oscar Garcia, to be allowed to return quickly to the United States. He needs to be with me and his children and his extended family. I can not manage raising our children alone. I need his support emotionally mentally and physically. If he is away too long, his absence will cause things to get detrimentally worse and cause severe depression to me and effect the lives of our children which would be extremely painful to me mentally and emotionally.
So thank you once again and I will await your decision.
Thank you,
Jessica Garcia
In support of I -601 waiver for my husband, Oscar Garcia - spouse of United States citizen