Funds for Nicola Hennessy
Donation protected
“Stolen Children – reunited with their mother, but at what cost”?
Nicola’s marriage was breaking down. Nicola had three children, aged 7, 3 and a baby of 6 weeks old. Their father, an Afghan national, started using threatening behaviour towards Nicola, most of his threats were regarding the children and taking them from her. Nicola was worried and took advice from a solicitor who took out a court order against Nicola’s husband forbidding him from taking the children out of the country.
Despite this Nicola’s worst fears were realised when her husband abducted all three of her children including her 6 week old baby. He took them to Afghanistan and broke Nicola’s heart. Nicola had no idea where her children were.
Nicola and her solicitors fought for months to find the children. Eventually they managed to find a lawyer in Afghanistan who was willing to help in the search for Nicola’s 3 precious children.
Nicola’s parents are pensioners, they took out a credit card to pay a deposit for the lawyer in Afghanistan to try to find their grandchildren. Nicola had no money to pay. By a miracle, some months later, to Nicola’s delight, the lawyer in Afghanistan found Robert, Steven and baby Andrew. They were flown home to be reunited with their mother after 17 months apart.
It has not been easy for Nicola. Only Robert could speak English. Andrew didn’t know his own mother, they had not been together since he was 6 weeks old. Nicola and her children are now rebuilding their lives together.
It has been a turbulent time for Nicola. The most upsetting is the bill that was received from our own Government for almost £9,000 for the flights home from Afghanistan for her three precious children and the woman who found them. The bill also stated that if not paid within 6 months another 10% would be added onto the bill. The Government have agreed to waive the 10% increase but nothing more.
The lawyer who worked for months tirelessly campaigning in Afghanistan for local help to find the children, still needs to be paid, £30,000 is outstanding to her. Nicola and her solicitors have asked for help from the Government to pay these costs but this has been refused. In addition Nicola needs to repay money spent from her bank account by her husband and to pay back her parents. Nicola worked until the children were returned but has now had to give up work to spend as much time as possible with her 3 children and help them recover from their traumatic ordeal. Their father is now behind bars.
There is no way Nicola would normally ask for help from anybody but right now she desperately wants to put the past 2 years behind her. However until she pays her bills Nicola and her children are living with the fact that nearly £50,000 still needs to be found.
Nicola’s marriage was breaking down. Nicola had three children, aged 7, 3 and a baby of 6 weeks old. Their father, an Afghan national, started using threatening behaviour towards Nicola, most of his threats were regarding the children and taking them from her. Nicola was worried and took advice from a solicitor who took out a court order against Nicola’s husband forbidding him from taking the children out of the country.
Despite this Nicola’s worst fears were realised when her husband abducted all three of her children including her 6 week old baby. He took them to Afghanistan and broke Nicola’s heart. Nicola had no idea where her children were.
Nicola and her solicitors fought for months to find the children. Eventually they managed to find a lawyer in Afghanistan who was willing to help in the search for Nicola’s 3 precious children.
Nicola’s parents are pensioners, they took out a credit card to pay a deposit for the lawyer in Afghanistan to try to find their grandchildren. Nicola had no money to pay. By a miracle, some months later, to Nicola’s delight, the lawyer in Afghanistan found Robert, Steven and baby Andrew. They were flown home to be reunited with their mother after 17 months apart.
It has not been easy for Nicola. Only Robert could speak English. Andrew didn’t know his own mother, they had not been together since he was 6 weeks old. Nicola and her children are now rebuilding their lives together.
It has been a turbulent time for Nicola. The most upsetting is the bill that was received from our own Government for almost £9,000 for the flights home from Afghanistan for her three precious children and the woman who found them. The bill also stated that if not paid within 6 months another 10% would be added onto the bill. The Government have agreed to waive the 10% increase but nothing more.
The lawyer who worked for months tirelessly campaigning in Afghanistan for local help to find the children, still needs to be paid, £30,000 is outstanding to her. Nicola and her solicitors have asked for help from the Government to pay these costs but this has been refused. In addition Nicola needs to repay money spent from her bank account by her husband and to pay back her parents. Nicola worked until the children were returned but has now had to give up work to spend as much time as possible with her 3 children and help them recover from their traumatic ordeal. Their father is now behind bars.
There is no way Nicola would normally ask for help from anybody but right now she desperately wants to put the past 2 years behind her. However until she pays her bills Nicola and her children are living with the fact that nearly £50,000 still needs to be found.
Organizer
Sally Waters
Organizer
