Coping With COPD

Inspiring story of coping with COPD.

My husband was diagnosed with a 9.2 cm abdominal aneuyrism. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Before he got to the operating room it had burst. His blood pressure dropped to 35. The doctor did wonders along with the law of attraction. The doctor gave my husband a 5% chance of making it through the night. I looked at the doctor and said 5% is better than 2% and I'll take the 5%. The doctor didn't know my husband's medical history, so COPD was an issue. The doctor said that there were going to be issues of kidney failure, paraplegia, and 100 other things that could go wrong. I stayed with my husband for 2 days and 3 nights before I went home to shower and tend to chores. Every day I drove 100 miles round trip to see him. He had anxiety attacks, hallucinations, new surgery technics from CA, etc. And all the while I didn't have one single doubt that he was going to make it. On May 15th I got to bring him home. The one thing that he did lose, at this time, is the sight out of his right eye. Nothing more.

 But with the law of attraction that is going to come back. I have faith. We still travel 100 miles round-trip to wound care three times a week, as he still has a hole in his chest about the size of the palm of my hand and they are working to get that closed. The bills are high, but our spirits are higher. His paycheck is still coming in and will continue, so we have no problem with our finances even though I had to leave my job to stay at home with him. He is a living miracle!!! To be given a 5% chance of making it through a night on that day to being home sitting on the deck three months later is a miracle. We still have a journey ahead of us, but it is one worth taking and sharing with my husband. God Bless!!!

Vancouver Social Services Are Alerted

Caregiver Lady Can Learn A Legal Lesson From This

After Caregiver Lady's recent problem from her recent trip to the Philippines, she should learn from the legal advice below on separation and child custody for OFWs in Canada.

Dear PAO,
My sister-in-law is in Canada right now and she has been there for 3 years . However, during those years that she was working there her husband (who happens to be my brother) had been
living with another woman and they already have a child. Finally, my sister-in-law got her permanent residency in Canada and she wishes to petition her 2 children so she can stay with
them. The problem is, her husband is giving her a hard time. He does not like to cooperate and he did not even bother to accompany his children to get their passports. The children are
temporarily living with their aunt.

My question is, how will my sister-in-law file for full custody over her children? She is in Canada and she cannot go home because of financial difficulty. Can her children travel without the
permission of their father?

XXX

Dear XXX,
The problem of your sister-in-law is common in our society. It is very disheartening but we cannot avoid the reality that children suffer the most in cases where their parents separate because of infidelity and unfaithfulness. However, even with the difficulties which spouses in this situation would encounter in their relationship as husband and wife, they should never forget that their children are not part of their misunderstandings. Hence, the welfare of the children must not be jeopardized just because one of the parents turned astray and reneged on his/her duties and obligations as a parent. The law thus, come into play to protect the welfare of the child.

Relevant laws relating to custody are as follows:

“Art. 209. Pursuant to the natural right and duty of parents over

the person and property of their unemancipated children,

parental authority and responsibility shall include the caring for

and rearing them for civic consciousness and efficiency and the

development of their moral, mental and physical character and

well-being.”

“Art. 211. The father and the mother shall jointly exercise

parental authority over the persons of their common children. In

case of disagreement, the father’s decision shall prevail, unless

there is a judicial order to the contrary.”

“Art. 213. In case of separation of the parents, parental authority

shall be exercised by the parent designated by the Court. The

Court shall take into account all relevant considerations,

especially the choice of the child over seven years of age,

unless the parent chosen is unfit.

“No child under seven years of age shall be separated from the

mother, unless the court finds compelling reasons to order

otherwise.”

From the foregoing provisions of the law, it is very clear that

parental authority is exercised by both the father and the mother

and in case the parents had separated, it is the Court which will

determine who shall be exercising parental authority. This

presupposes however that one parent has filed for a custody

case or for other remedies to severe the marriage bond.

Custody battles may be an independent case or just an incident

to a petition for legal separation or a petition for annulment of

marriage or declaration of nullity of marriage.

It must be noted however that in custody battles, it is the

children who suffer the trauma of thinking that their parents are

quarrelling on who should take care of them, hence,

considerations must be taken into account by both parents

thinking that the primordial consideration is the best welfare of

the child.

You may advise your sister-in-law to talk to her husband first

regarding the welfare of their children. She should try to

convince him that it would be best for the children to be with her

considering that at this time their children are living with their

aunt. If efforts to persuade her husband to cooperate on the

working out of the children’s petition to be immigrants of Canada

fail, your sister-in-law is left with no choice but to file the

appropriate case in court.

Anent your query if the children can be brought to Canada

without their father’s consent, the answer is in the negative.

Notably, their father’s parental authority has not been renounced

by him neither was it divested from him. The law enumerates

the grounds for loss of parental authority, thus:

“Art. 228. Parental authority terminates permanently:

(1) Upon the death of the parents;

(2) Upon the death of the child; or

(3) Upon emancipation of the child (327a).”

“Art. 229. Unless subsequently revived by a final judgment,

parental authority also terminates:

(1) Upon adoption of the child;

(2) Upon appointment of a general guardian;

(3) Upon judicial declaration of abandonment of the child in a

case filed for the purpose;

(4) Upon final judgment of a competent court divesting the party

concerned of parental authority; or

(5) Upon judicial declaration of absence or incapacity of the

person exercising parental authority.”

Having an alleged mistress and a child with his mistress is not a ground for loss of parental authority. Thus, your brother’s consent before the children could travel will still be required by
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The best solution to the problem is for both your brother and sister-in-law to have mediation and conciliation. They should sit down and talk about and negotiate their differences for the
welfare of their children and set aside first whatever marital problems they have. Your sister-in-law may make the first move to address the problems the soonest and start moving on with
their respective lives.

Note: Write up was read from Manila Times Website PAO