Whitehorse mother reunited with children after six years

A woman in Whitehorsewhountil recently was a temporary foreign workerhas been reunited with her children after six years of separation.

MarivicPerlawanfirst arrived in Canada in 2006 from the Philippines on a temporary work visa. Shewas granted permanent residency in Canada in October after first applying in 2011. Her application was one of many delayed bya six-month foreign service worker strike last year.

Since October, she had been saving enough money for airfareto bring her kids to Yukon.

But last monthshe was finally able to bring her children, Mardee and Mikki,to Whitehorse just in time for the holidays.MarivicPerlawansays the struggles were all worth it, and so do the kids.

"She sacrificed many things for us," said Mardee. "I feel that she worked hard for us, she worked really hard for us, and I appreciate that."

ButPerlawan admitsafter six years of separation, she's just starting to get to know her kids again.

Marivic says her daughter liked to hold hands when she was six and she was surprised to find she still does.

"Ifwe walk in the mall, she wants to hold hands again, even [at]13."

Perlawan says she'll enrol her children in local schools and hopes they'reable to integrate into life in Yukon.