WATCH ABOVE: There is good news for Mailane Bituin, the Philippines woman recovering from a hit-and-run incident in June.Sarah Volstad has the details.
MONTREAL – It’s the day she’s been waiting for since she arrived in Montreal almost eight years ago.
“Today, I am a permanent resident in Canada,” 46-year-old Mailane Bituin said proudly.
On Monday morning, Bituin was all smiles as she left the Canadian immigration office – her new status officially confirmed.
“I feel like I’m in heaven,” said Bituin.
This means her family members can have their visas issued, so they can be reunited and live under one roof for the first time in 15 years.
“I need my children to be with me,” said Bituin.
“To help me, to assist me, I need them. Life is a bit different when you have your family around.”
Bituin arrived in Canada in 2007.
Since then, she has worked hard to earn enough money to support her family back home and eventually bring them to Canada, but her plan saw a huge setback in June, when she was struck in a hit-and-run accident in Hampstead.
Bedridden, out of work, and deep in debt, her dream of being reunited with her family began to fade.
“Sometimes, I only have two dollars in my pocket,” Bituin told Global News in July.
“Sometimes, I just go to McDonald’s and enjoy myself for the two dollars left in my pocket.”
But now, things are looking up.
Last week, she was able to return home to her apartment.
With two screws in the her leg, she still has difficulty walking, though it isn’t stopping her from getting ready to welcome her family.
There’s still one major problem in bringing them over: the price of four plane tickets, which Bituin cannot afford.
But it seems even that obstacle can be overcome.
Last week, Bituin’s friends who owns a Cote-des-Neige restaurant started a fundraising campaign.
“When customers leave tips, we just pool it and give it to her for her immediate needs,” said restaurant owner Ricarte Contaoe.
“We’re so happy to accept their little tip or little money or little donation for her,” added Contaoe’s wife, Ethel Tugna, who is Bituin’s good friend and colleague.
On Monday, the restaurant handed Mailane $120, money they have raised since the campaign started on Friday.
“This is gonna go to the tickets for my kids to come here,” said Mailane of the cash she received.
There’s no saying exactly when her family will be arriving, but Bituin is confident it won’t be long now.
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