Isn’t nice when the people who make up the rules actually see the bigger picture? It does happen. Not often. But every once in a while.
Take the case of Maria Victoria Venancio, a Filipino temporary worker in Canada, who was knocked off her bike by a SUV three years ago on her way to work at a fast-food restaurant in Edmonton.
Ms. Venancio, known to her friends as Vicky, was left with limited use of her hands and was diagnosed as a quadriplegic.
Then, the bureaucratic insanity kicked in.
Since she could no longer do her job, her visa was not renewed and the federal government ordered her deported this past February.
The Province of Alberta had previously denied her health benefits, saying it was unable to pay for her care as she didn’t have legal status.
But Ms. Venancio did not go gently. She and her supporters, including the Alberta Medical Association President Dr. Richard Johnston, lobbied anyone and everyone they could and guess what? It worked.
Last Friday, federal Minister of State for Multiculturalism Tim Uppal contacted Ms. Venancio to tell her she had been granted a work permit, meaning she can stay in Canada for two years.
The Alberta minister of health, Sarah Hoffman, quickly followed suit, announcing that Ms. Venancio will receive the same health-care coverage as any other Albertan
“She is a tremendous woman of strength and perseverance. And now we can give her the health-care supports she is entitled to,” Ms. Hoffman said Sunday.
Said Ms. Venancio: “I’m in heaven right now. It’s not only my victory. It’s everyone who is supporting me and praying for me.”
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