Appeal to help reunite a family...
Posted on
On the 5th June 2010, I lost my late husband very suddenly to a road traffic accident.
Leaving me a widow with two sons, one of whom is an adult with severe learning difficulties, uncontrolled epilepsy and autism. My youngest son just 11 years of age at the time.
My late husband was a Freemason and a member of the Widows Son, a masonic motorcycle organisation, founded by Carl Davenport from America, the organisation is worldwide. And was founded to aid and assist widows and orphans of Master Masons.
When I lost my late husband, I decided I wanted to try and make something positive out of my grief and founded an motorcycle awareness organisation. Naming it Dying to Ride, I contacted Carl Davenport and told him about my late husband, and how he was also a member of his Widows Son organisation.
He helped to promote, through his masonic channels Dying to Ride. To try and cut a long story short, we kept on talking and Carl invited me out to Florida, so we could meet. We had already fallen in love with each other at this point.
And we married on the 24th March 2011. Carl, came to the UK to be with me and the boys in April 2011, but only on a visitors visa, as we were both unaware of immigration rules etc. He had to leave the country after 6 months, but returned again withina couple of weeks. This has been our situation up until 12th February this year.
When Carl last entered the country last August he was not informed by this same lady that he was limited as to how many times he could enter this country on a visitors visa nor was he informed that when he leaves again after his visitors visa has expired he would not be allowed back in the country.
Before Carl left for America, I called the UK Border Helpline, to enquire on any rules, that may stop Carl from re-entering England. I was told, it was up to the discretion of the airport's border control staff. And that in their opinion if Carl has been living by the rules and regulations of the United Kingdom, while here on his visitors visa, then there should not be a problem on him entering the UK on another visitors visa.
Carl has respected the rules and regulations of our country, he has shown to be a very loving supportive husband and step father, he has made many good friends here who like and respect him, and are shocked and saddened as to how are family have been torn apart.
If she had informed Carl when he last entered the country, that he would not be allowed back into the UK, we would have taken steps to apply for the Spouse visa when it was time for Carl to leave the country and apply in his own country. Given us time to prepare the boys for Carl to be temporarily apart from us while his application was being assessed, therefore lessening the effect on the boys emotionally.
This is causing great heartache and hardship on our family, I am now left alone to care for my eldest son, and supporting my youngest son as he is feeling distraught at his step-father being sent back to America, as Carl helped to ease my son's grieving and has brought happiness back into his life, he has been helping me with all aspects of caring duties with my eldest son. Which I am now having to take on the full caring duties again, which is very hard when you are on your own, given the level of care my son needs.
As my son also has autism, this is having a detrimental effect on his behavior. As his routine with Carl and I, has been thrown into disarray. With a knock on effect of him taken more seizures than he would normally suffer.
When I tried to explain to the lady at Border Control, about my son, she cut me off coldly and abruptly not wanting to hear what I had to say. Telling me my personal family life with my son was not an issue.The only thing she was interested in doing was sending Carl back to America.
I am appealing to you, to sign this petition and help re-unite a family, what this lady at Border Control has coldly and abruptly torn apart, all because we have not yet applied for a spouse visa.
Teresa Mills-Davenport