Vancouver woman with leukemia makes desperate plea after siblings’ visas are denied

A Vancouver woman battling leukemia is now dealing with more heartbreaking news.

Elsa Nega was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in February. Recently, she applied to have her brother and sister join her in Canada as her health
deteriorates, but their visa applications were denied.

“I don’t have any family anywhere else except them, I need them,” Nega said through tears. “I don’t know. I die tomorrow or today. Nobody knows. I miss them.”

Her brother and sister, Gelila and Mikiyas, both live in Ethiopia. Their visa applications have been denied twice and the family’s lawyer says the reason given is a common one.

WATCH: B.C. woman in need of bone marrow transplant pleas for more donors of African descent

1:53 Bone marrow donor plea

“The reason was they were not satisfied as to the purpose of the visit. They were not satisfied that they were going to leave at the end of the period authorized for their stay,” Fritz Gaerdes said.

An application for judicial review has been filed.

Time not on their side

Despite a desperate search for a bone marrow donor of African descent, no match has been found. Nega says her last hope was to have her siblings join her–siblings she raised since their mother died.

“We pass many, many things in our life together, three of us. Many, many things. I need them. I need them. They are my children,” she said.

The family has reached out to their Vancouver South MP, Harjit Sajjan. However, their office referred Global News back to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Now, Nega is pleading with anyone who will listen.

“I want to be with them,” she said. “Whatever is happening in my life and I want to–even if I die…I want to see them.”

Gaerdes is hopeful the review will produce the result Nega longs for.

“My belief is the decision was unreasonable and the visa officer did not assess the evidence that was before him properly,” he said. “I would like to see the visa application considered properly–quickly–to give this family the relief they need.”

A petition to approve the visas for Nega’s siblings to visit has been started.