Cork man reunited with family after they escape Dengue fever epidemic in the Philippines
An Irish man who feared for the safety of his wife and baby girl following an outbreak of the life-threatening Dengue fever in the Philippines is rejoicing following the safe arrival of his family in Cork.
Mark Lane of Carrigaline, Co Cork. became desperately worried whilst awaiting a visa application for his wife and child amid an outbreak of the deadly fever in the country.
His one-year-old daughter Erin was taken to hospital with a suspected mosquito bite over the summer. He and his wife Marjo had an anxious wait to see if the child had contracted the fever.
Dengue fever has killed more than 600 people in the Philippines this year. The group worst affected has been children under the age of 10 and the outbreak has been declared a national epidemic.
Speaking from their new bungalow in a rural part of Carrigaline, Mark emphasised that he was both relieved and grateful to have Marjo and Erin in Ireland.
He said: "I was worried sick about them both not just Erin. Her mum and Marjo never left the hospital in the five days Erin was in. It was killing me not being there for them.
"I am on cloud nine to have them back. It's been a hard two years."
"The year I was in in the Philippines I was delighted to be with them but I am a real home bird. To have them both here is a dream. Erin is running around. All she wants to do is play chasing.
"She didn't know me when she first saw me. People would ask where "Da Da" was and she would point to my picture. I was devastated. But now she does and all we are doing is playing."
Mark left the Philippines 10 months ago to return to Ireland to start the visa process to bring the family to Cork. Erin was just two months old when he left and it was heartbreaking for him to only be able to keep track of her via videos and Facetime.
When his case was delayed he approached the "amazing team" on the Neil Prendeville show on Cork's Red FM whom he said worked alongside the office of Tánaiste Simon Coveney to speed up the process.
Marjo is anticipating her new life in Ireland but admits there is one obstacle that she is grappling with. She took her inaugural trip to Penneys the other day so they could buy an assortment of throws, jumpers and scarves in a bid to prepare for the Irish winter.
Mark said as it was sunny locals were telling Marjo that she had brought the good weather.
He said: "It was a beautiful day here and when our visitors left Marjo was saying 'Can you put on the heating please?'
"To me it was so hot! The winter is going to be the toughest part for Margo.
"The rain there is even hot. The wind will be difficult for her."
Marjo says she is also struggling a little with the speed of the Cork accent with even the dulcet tones of broadcaster Neil Prendeville were indecipherable to her when they met at the radio station the other day.
She said: "It is very quick. I have learned (some Cork expressions). I know "a big eejit" and "I will ya." And "Penneys" (when someone remarks on her clothes)."
Marjo has three brothers and sisters so she will miss her close-knit family whom she is calling every night on Facetime. She is hopeful of making friends in both the Irish and Filipino community in Cork.
She understands the loneliness of being away from home because she worked as an au pair in Hong Kong for four years.
She explained: "I used to mind three kids. The parents were very nice. But I only saw my friends every other week because I just had two Sundays off a month.
"The parents owned a restaurant and salon. The children were 13, eight and three years. Sometimes the parents would go on holiday and I would be home with the three kids.
"Luckily there is internet here in Ireland so I can be in touch with my family."
Mark made the 44-hour journey from Dublin to Dubai to Manila and then on to the remote fishing village of Calbayog last week in order to fly back to Ireland with his family.
He met Marjo on a chatroom site a few years ago and they Skyped for hours on end over a six-month period.
They met in person and eventually married in 2017 with Mark taking a year's leave of absence from work to go live in the Philippines. He had to leave to return to work in Ireland when Erin was just two months old.
Although they had Skyped for several months Mark and Marjo admit they were apprehensive when they met up the first time in the Philippines.
Mark said he got a bunch of flowers to present to Marjo before they met face to face.
He said: "I was waiting but I wasn't nervous. She texted and I said "Turn left" at the airport and then I started to get nervous.
"She ended up turning right and I thought 'that is not Marjo, is it?' Next thing I saw her and I walked down and we hugged and it was instant.
"We clicked from day one. We hugged for 15 minutes in the airport."
Marjo said she was so nervous that she didn't know her right from her left.
"When he said 'turn left' I turned right. I got confused."
Marjo is recovering from jet lag and says that unsurprisingly Erin isn't the one keeping her awake as "Mark snores".
Mark said he knew he was truly married when he was asked to go into Erin's bunk beds where he slept surrounded by cuddly toys.
"I was kicked in there last night. Well actually Marjo went in there first because she was trying to wake me and couldn't," he said.
Mark went to the Citizens Advice Bureau 10 months ago who told him that because he was out of the country for a year he would need to build up six months in payslips and bank statements to prove his residency in this country.
He said: "I couldn't believe it. I went to a solicitor and he told me the same. I had to do all that before my wife could apply.
"I got all the documents to prove we are a proper family. I got over 100 pages of paperwork which I had to send to Manila.
"The Irish consulate in Manila said they wanted two copies of everything. I did all of that."
A week later they sent all the paperwork to the closest Irish embassy in Singapore. Another week later they sent it to the visa officers in Dublin. That took another month and a half. He was then told it would take another five months.
Mark missed out on all of his daughter's milestones in the first year of her life and is anxious to play catch-up.
"We missed our first Christmas as a family. Our first Easter, Erin's first words and steps. It's a dream to have them here now."
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