Blog → November 13, 2018

Coming Soon: A Long-awaited Story of Family Reunification

Melissa Dalton Bradford Speech At Byu

At this moment, I was recounting the story of a friend of mine, a Syrian refugee mother who has been separated from her husband and three teenaged sons for three years. Father and boys have been eking out a meager existence in Turkey, where they were stuck after fleeing from decimated Aleppo and then Europe slammed shut its borders.

Mother and youngest son had gone ahead, trudging up the Balkan route and into Germany. Here, the two lived in camps where our volunteers met and befriended them. In this speech I described her:

Fierce yet exhausted.
Resourceful yet at times desperate.
Tender yet aggravated.
Faithful. Faithful. Faithful.

I went to court with her last spring and sat as a character witness through a trial (appealing asylum) that did not seem to go well at all. The judge wanted to hear nothing of her explanation that, if her asylum was not granted now, then her eldest, age 17, would stand no chance of receiving family reunification because at 18 the applicants are considered adults and must therefore pursue a single asylum track, not family reunification as dependents of parents.

The next week, my friend received a rejection to that plea. It was a black, black day. When I stood and spoke last month at Brigham Young University I asked the audience to imagine this mother’s predicament. To try to feel how she does, trapped by international disputes, the scourge of fear, the whim of policy.

Would this mother EVER see her husband again? Her children again? Would this family EVER be reunited? That sinister question mark hooked me like a harpoon to the heart.

Well...

I couldn’t have imagined how that story would change. Last night’s WhatsApp from my Syrian friend was simple:

Four photos of passports.

I knew all of the faces. They have her sober, dark eyes. And the mother’s caption: “God is good.”

Multiple ❣️❤️💕💗later, I asked, “Wann?” (When?)

“21 November,” plus 🎊🎉💥

Please stay tuned for a sweet family reunion at Frankfurt airport.

Other Posts

Voices of Resilience: 3 Afghani Refugees Use Their Professions to Make a Better World

This month marks the three year anniversary of the fall of Kabul. When the city fell, many were forced to flee their homes. Women who had careers, women who dreamed of careers, and women who lifted their voices to fight for equal rights were some of those most at risk. To America’s great benefit, some of these women landed in the US.

August 14, 2024

My First Asylum Case: An Attorney's Perspective on Asylum in the United States

I took my first asylum case in 2016, when our national dialog on immigration took a decidedly negative turn. As a corporate attorney, I had no experience in immigration law, but my license allowed me to represent individuals fleeing severe persecution and I signed with a local non-profit to offer my help. My first asylum client was a young mother and her two small daughters. I could see myself in Saba.

April 14, 2024

Their Story is Our Story Applauds the Signing of Virginia House Bill 995 and Continues Efforts to Open Doors for Foreign-trained Medical Professionals in Other States

Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), a non-profit organization that collects and shares the experiences of refugees to deepen understanding and influence action, applauds the signing of Virginia House Bill 995 into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin, after its unanimous passage through the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate. It will create a pathway for foreign-trained doctors who have immigrated to the state, including those whose careers were interrupted by forcible displacement, to fill workforce gaps in medically underserved communities.

April 11, 2024
Add Impact to Your Inbox
Sign up for our emails to get inspiring stories and updates delivered straight to you.
Subscribe
© 2024 Their Story is Our Story Privacy Policy
Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.