We moved to retire somewhere with clean air, slower pace of life and a strong community and so we moved to the beautiful hills of the Sybelline national park in Italy in 2013, bought a home and found a community which accepted us into their huge hearts.
Until the referendum I considered myself an expat, but in 2016 something happened to my beloved homeland. It was split, now taken over by those who oppose everything I value about it, and who despise my fellow Europeans living there. It truly does break my heart to see this happening.
Then in August and October of that same year my community here in Italy was devastated by earthquakes.
The earthquake that destroyed our home in 2016 didn’t break us though.
Living for 16 months in a small mobile home didn’t break us.
But now my husband is undergoing tests for a serious life changing condition. This in itself will not break us.
But Brexit is doing what earthquakes and neurological problems cannot, pushed us to the point that we really don’t know what to do for the best.
If we stay here, we may not get our healthcare costs paid and with both of us with pre-existing condition private insurance is unaffordable on our pension. Without the medications to manage my husband’s condition his quality of life will be significantly affected and will be shortened. In the absence of reciprocal healthcare in the event of no deal, Brexit will quite literally disable and eventually kill him…
If we return to the UK, which is no longer our home, we will be homeless, having no property here to sell to fund a move, our income being insufficient to rent privately a home with disabled access and as non-residents we are ineligible for social housing. Not to even mention the loss of the friendship and support networks which are essential to people with long term degenerative disorders and their careers.
And the idiot candidates suggest no deal is doable.
They need to know….Brexit is breaking us! ©
Denise, British in Italy
First published October 2019
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