'My American husband, Ryan, and I married in 2006. We had our daughter in 2008.
'We tried a long distance relationship for a while trying to sort out our visa, but realised quickly that we would struggle with the bureaucracy involved.
'Ryan came to the UK just before the birth of our daughter, Lilly. My grandmother who raised me was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, so he stayed to support me. After struggling on with his father living with us, his father died of a heart attack.
'The police kept harassing Ryan for his passport. Frightened that he would be deported, he went back to the US.
'It's now been almost 2 years since we have seen each other because we are struggling to get the money up.
'We were young and stupid when we got married and we didn't do things the right way, but even so we will never get the money up that they ask. I can't even get a job here in England as no one wants to employ a 'single mother' as I can't work late/early or weekends due to childcare.
'The government are keeping me on benefits when I could be working full time.
'All I want is my husband, my daughter cries because she misses her daddy. We got married without even knowing what we were getting into, we had no idea about visa and income requirements, we just assumed you got married and lived happily ever after.
'In February it will be the second year since we have seen my husband. We have looked at many different routes but because of our situation it's not going to work for us. My husband is struggling to get an education but trying very hard. We plan that he will train to get his truck driving licence and that I'll move away from my family and everything I know to live with him.
'He has no family in America as they are either dead or estranged, so I'll be moving away from all my family to be with him.
'I will do it because I love him, but it's unfair that I've been forced into poverty with out him.
'I'm living in a one bedroom flat with my 5 year old daughter which has cockroaches and mold and it's making us ill.
'One day we'll be together, I'll never give up on him. For now I'll deal with the bad situation I've been dealt with and try to turn it around.'
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