"It Never Gets Better": Afrikaner Woman Breaks Down Recalling Day She Left Her Kids to Move to USA

• A South African woman shared an emotional video about leaving her adult children behind when she and her husband relocated to Austin, Texas
• The couple flew out on 28 April as part of a refugee resettlement programme, with a seven-hour stopover in Paris before reaching the US
• Her honest account of the heartbreak of leaving family behind struck a chord with South Africans who have done the same

A South African woman known on Facebook as Life in Austin opened up about one of the hardest days of her life: the morning she and her husband Tom said goodbye to their children and boarded a plane to the United States.

In a video posted on 31 July 2026, she recalled how the couple left South Africa on 28 April as part of a refugee resettlement programme, arriving in Austin, Texas, the following day. The farewell at the departure point was brief. Children were allowed inside just long enough to help carry suitcases, and then the goodbyes began. She said, visibly emotional:

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"It never gets better. There's never a day that you don't wish your kids came along with you."

Her children are adults, she explained, happily married and settled in South Africa. But for a mother, that distance does not make the parting easier. What brings her peace, she said, is knowing her children share her Christian faith and are well cared for. Her husband has also been a quiet anchor through it all, tuned in to her emotions in a way that helps her find steady ground again.

They took a long journey through Paris and Virginia

The flight itself was a first in many ways. Neither she nor Tom had flown that far before, and they barely slept on the overnight leg. A seven-hour delay in Paris turned into an unexpected highlight when she sat down at a piano in the airport and played the Afrikaans hymn "Moj Grikkeland" in the middle of a French terminal, bound for America.

After landing in Virginia, the group was given a night's rest before flying on to Austin the next morning. There they signed paperwork committing to repay their airfare in instalments once settled.

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View the Facebook video below:

South Africans respond to her story

Her honesty on her page about the cost of starting over clearly resonated with others who have walked the same road:

Monique Schrade Swanepoel said:

"Everyone has different motivations for leaving, and we wish you only well. But I couldn't leave my family or my culture."

James Joubert shared:

"I left SA 23 years ago, left my 6-year-old son with my ex. It was hard. He is 30 now and in the same country as me."

Kathy Essel Coomber wrote:

"Such a safe place to be. I visited my daughter in Ogallala in 2017. She had married an American guy. We walked to shops without…"

Anelda Schoultz added:

"We immigrated to Canada in 2009, and it was the best thing we ever did. Our kids came with us, and they had so many more opportunities…"

Tracy Hathorn commented:

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"I can so understand your feelings; I have 3 daughters, and they are married, and they have children. They are all living in 3 different countries (like far apart; Canada, Scotland and China) and I live in Uganda. So yes, it's not nice, but it becomes part of your life. Just stay strong & think about your next visit. 💕"

More Briefly News stories on immigration

• A South African man hoping to join his child in the UK was left unable to prove their relationship after strict immigration laws created challenges for his family reunification plans.
• A South African woman shared a guide on how citizens can apply to join the US military, explaining the requirements and process while inspiring others interested in serving in America.
• A South African nurse working in the US revealed how much immigrant nurses can earn through Avant, breaking down hourly rates, bonuses, and contract details that surprised many Mzansi viewers.

Source: Briefly News