A LIMERICK mother-of-two whose husband was forced to emigrate to Britain is hoping that her family will be reunited in time for Christmas.
Julie Fitzsimons, 31, and her children - Maia, 3, and Nikolas, 1 - are saving up to join their husband in the Dorset, where he moved for work.
The road to their current situation has been a long, hard-fought path.
“About two years ago, the company I was working for closed in Ireland,” Julie said. “I had already been reduced from five days to three days a week and about 25 minutes before my shift was due to start I got a call saying ‘don’t come in to work today’.”
After that things began to snowball.
Her husband, Ziggy, was already off work on sick leave at this stage and they had their young daughter at home and Julie was heavily pregnant with her second child.
When little Nikolas was six months old, Julie began her hunt for work again.
“My stamps were gone by the time I finished my maternity leave so at this point we were down to just my husband’s sick leave income,” she said.
Ziggy is hoping to be reunited with his wife and children in time for ChristmasDue to her husband’s illness, it looked like Julie was going to become the sole bread winner for the family.
She decided to look for part-time work, as her husband was unable to look after the children full-time due to his illness.
At this point, the family’s social welfare payments were cut, as Julie was told she could no longer claim the dole as she was unavailable for full-time work.
They struggled and were living on €200 per week for the family of four, €150 of which went on rent for their home.
It came to a point where Ziggy was finally able for work in Britain, where he was born.
His mother offered to put him up while he looked for work.
“She had room for one of us while we looked for a job, so my husband went over,” said Julie, who has also turned to her own parents.
“Trying to build up the finances to pay two months’ rent plus deposit means there just isn’t funds there to pay the removal costs on his end,” she said. “And my parents have been covering the mortgage costs as well as assisting with some shopping since the social welfare here reduced the payment I was receiving.”
Ziggy secured a position with a company, with the promise he would be trained into a managerial role within six months.
His promotion came early, meaning the wheels were in motion for the family to be reunited.
Unfortunately, plans fell through with a house they had planned on moving into.
Her husband’s promotion meant he would be facing a pricey two hour commute to work every day.
They had to sacrifice the deposit they had paid on the house and the removal man Julie had booked is now no longer able to assist with the move.
For now, Julie has no idea when she and her children will be able to join Ziggy in Dorset.
Their only thought is that the family just wants to be reunited. It has been a tough six months since he left, a time in which he has only seen his wife and children once.
“I don’t know if we will be reunited but I’m hopeful. I’m always hopeful. I have to be,” Julie said.
