I would be very grateful if you would permit my daughter Antonia Downes to be one of the persons to return HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

In JUne 1999, Antonia sent her sixteen year old son Jamal from Alaska to the USA to spend the holiday with her brother Dale. During his short stay there, Jamal and his uncle Dale were envolved in an accident. Unfortunately, Dale died on the spot, while Jamal received serious head injuries and was in a coma for many months.

At the time of the accident Antonia was living in Alaska with her husband who was stationed there while serving as a member of the USA army. On hearing of the accident, Antonio and her husband immediately returned to the USA. Jamal stayed long in hospital and as a consequence, his mother and father were burdened with medical bills, even though I must confess some family members tried to assist them as much as possible. What was also most unfortunate, is that shehad to give up her job in order to care for her son after he came out of the coma because he could not help himself. Over a period of time he has improved somewhat, but he has not yet returned to normalcy. He is now trying to walk without a walker.

Recently, while Antonia was taking Jamal out for a drive, they were envolved in an accident, fortunately they were no serious injuries but it did help to instill a fear of driving again as it brought the memories of June 8, 1999 back to her.

What is most interesting is that Antonia's mother is a diabetic and she also has a walking disability called infancy paralysis which resulted from the polio disease.

When my son Dale died, I tried desperately to make arrangements to attend his funeral in the USA, but the embassy did not give me permission to travel there to see my son for the last time. I was very hurt at the experience of not being able to see my son before he was buried and also to see my grandson when he was in the coma, as I was not sure if he would have died also.

I am sixty-four years old and I have not seen my daughter for over eighteen years even though I try to communicate with her by telephone when ever it is possible. I desperately would like to see her before I die. I also know that if you bring her home for the holidays she would be glad to see me and her familyand it would help to relieve her mind of the stress that she experienced since the death of her brother, also those difficult periods of caring for her son when he was in that helpless condition,

Please help me VOB to make my dream come true, I would be very grateful