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Hoping to bring children here for a last visit continued from p.1 She first landed a job in Paris, France, and then five years later in Oakville, where she worked for another five years. Maricon returned home to see her daughters as often as she could, and saw them twice every day via Skype, watching them grow, disciplining them when it was needed and helping them through their homework. She paid for her daughters to attend private school and supported them while they lived with her family members. "She really and truly was not a removed parent. She mothered from afar. She really parented," said Eli Gilbert, who, with his wife, Jodie, brought Maricon from Paris to Oakville as a nanny for their two young children. "They were afraid of her, they were afraid of getting in trouble. Can you imagine, getting in trouble from the computer?" Jodie asked. "They were 5,000 miles away or whatever the distance is and she wielded that kind of power from afar," Eli added with a smile. There's not much to smile about these days though and so the Gilberts are hoping at least to honour Maricon's dream. Maricon had a dream to bring her daughters to Canada where there would be opportunity for them. She was working on getting landed immigrant status in Canada and was less than a year from bringing her children to this country. She had an upcoming interview for securing her landed immigrant status. Then, suddenly, everything changed. In October of 2012, she suffered a severe, week-long headache, which turned out to be a brain tumour, one from which she would not recover. The 40-year-old is currently at OTMH. She has no higher cognitive function and will die. "You ask, Why would this happen to such a nice person, such a good person?" said Eli. "She brought happiness to our lives and we have to do well by her." The Gilberts are working to bring Maricon's daughters to Oakville for a month at the end of April so they have a chance to say goodbye to their mother. At the end of April, Maricon will be taken off the drugs keeping her alive and placed in palliative care. She is expected to die soon after. When the time comes, the girls will scatter half their mother's ashes in Canada and take the other half back to the Philippines. Riley, who is now six years old, recently found out Maricon would not be coming out of the hospital, something his parents said was upsetting for him. "She was like a close relative... She was an extension of the family," Eli said. "She and I spent a lot of time together. She was essentially an extension of me," Jodie said. "She always wanted a little boy so Riley was like that little boy she never had. He was really special to her... I used to come home and Maricon would be outside in hockey gear or whatever, playing hockey, soccer and rolling around in the grass, kids jumping on top of her. She was one of us." If the children got hurt, they would just as likely go to Maricon as they would their mother. "She's caring, loving, she's honest, she's hardworking to a fault, there's integrity and sincerity in everything she does," Eli said. "She was very special." On the weekends, Maricon went to school to become a personal support worker. She graduated at the top of her class. While the Gilbert children outgrew their need of a nanny, Maricon received 3 | Wednesday, April 10, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Maricon Ala Gerente with her daughters Lean and Saniel, aged 14 and 11. Submitted photo Maricon's journey began in Paris, where she began working for a family. Then the French government made changes to its laws and revoked all work visas, including Maricon's. She faced two choices -- continue working illegally in Paris without the ability to re-enter the country if she left or to return to the Philippines. She remained in France and was unable to see her children. Her marriage ended as well and the children were placed in Maricon's mother's care. Her mother has since died and the girls are currently living with aunts and uncles. Through an agency, the Gilberts found Maricon and brought her to Canada, where she lived with them, taking care of their children, Riley and Mya. Riley was a newborn when Maricon arrived. This also allowed her to travel back and forth between Canada and the Philippines and she returned home for one month every year. She also became like one of the family in Oakville. see Oakville on p.8 THE PROBLEM WITH INVESTMENT FEES DATES Thurs, April 25th 10:00am, 2:00pm, 7:00pm Fri, April 26th 10:00am, 2:00pm Sat, April 27th 10:00am, 2:00pm SEMINAR Seniors: You can roll the Wheel of Fitness into your life. The Wheel of Fitness is a unique method to motivate and lead you through an interactive exercise experience. As a senior, when it comes to Living Well, "despite the circumstances, exercise always wins!" is the motto for fitness professional, Sandra Sheffield-Young. Sandra is a Kinesiologist, Gerontologist, author and the enthusiastic creator of the nationally renowned STEPS company. She has over 20 years of experience in creating exercise programs, training for seniors, and promoting the importance of physical activity for all. Join Sandra for her free "Wheel of Fitness" Presentation where she shares her expertise, realistic exercise advice and inspirational experiences considering her older adult clients. Don't miss out. RSVP now for this No-cost presentation. LOCATION Peter Watson Investments 220 Randall Street, Downtown Oakville MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI Certified Financial Planner Peter Watson Free Parking To reserve your seats email us at info@peterwatsoninvestments.com or call us at (905) 842-2100 Ext: 2 (24 hours) www.peterwatsoninvestments.com Thurs. Apr. 11 2:30 p.m. RSVP by Apr. 9 (905) 469-3232 www.delmanor.com Lecture will be held next door to Delmanor Glen Abbey at Glen Abbey United Church