’90 Day Fiancé’: Jenny Slatten’s ALS Diagnosis Forces Sumit Singh to Abandon India for US — A Reversal 15 Years in the Making
Sumit Singh from 90 Day Fiancé is preparing for a big move.
Fifteen years after first falling for now-wife Jenny Slatten, the TLC star has started the visa process that will finally allow him to come to the United States.
Jenny Slatten reveals ALS diagnosis
Jenny and Sumit currently live in India. But after she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, late last year, the couple was forced to reconsider their future plans. Previously, Sumit had been reluctant to leave his family in India. He was also hesitant to begin the long and difficult process of obtaining a U.S. visa. But with Jenny’s new health challenges, he realized he needed to be by her side as she pursues every available treatment.
“I wanted to let you guys know that we have started the visa process for Sumit to come to the U.S. to bring my mom so she can come here and get more treatment using her insurance,” Jenny’s daughter Christina said in an Instagram video uploaded on July 22. “Because the doctors have told her she cannot travel alone because it’s such a long flight.”
Because Sumit is now Jenny’s full-time caregiver, they are hopeful that he will be approved to come with her to the U.S. But there are no guarantees he’ll get the visa, Christina admitted.
“A lot of things that are happening with immigration right now are kind of jumbling things up for foreigners to come to this country,” she noted.
In the hopes of speeding up the process, Sumit has applied to come to the U.S. on a tourist vias.
“We have applied for an emergency tourist spousal visa, not for a green card,” Christina explained. “Only for a tourist visa. It’s a lot longer of a process to try to get a green card, especially right now. They’re not making it easy for anyone. So we’re going the tourist route.”
“They don’t make this sh*t easy at all. And it’s expensive. But I just want to let you guys know that we are working on it. We are going to try our damndest to get Sumit here with my mom.
Sumit is committed to helping Jenny in her fight against ALS
In May, Jenny revealed that she’d been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive and fatal nervous system disease.
“At first, we tried to keep it private because it’s been very emotional and overwhelming for us,” Jenny wrote on Instagram. “We were hoping to find some kind of solution before speaking publicly. But after trying for some time, we feel like it’s time to reach out … we are open to any kind of help — treatments, clinical trials, lifestyle changes, or anything that could help treat this disease or slow down its progression.”
In an interview with People, Sumit stressed that he would be by Jenny’s side as she battled the disease.
“Honestly, I never felt this much love, or I can love anyone this much,” he said. “I used to … live for myself. But from [the] last so many years, I feel like doing [things] for someone who you love gives you happiness, I think that’s what love is. And that’s why we do things for each other, and that’s what make each other happy.”
Sumit’s commitment to Jenny came as the couple struggled to build an independent life in India. Faced with financial struggles and a failing cafe business, Sumit took out a loan without Jenny’s knowledge, he confessed in a recent episode of 90 Day: The Last Resort. Jenny was stunned, but Sumit said he had responsibilities to his parents as well as her.
“I cannot leave my parents,” he said. “They are here and I cannot leave them.”
But now, Sumit must put his parents’ needs behind those of his wife, even if it means navigating a complicated visa process. While some fans wondered why Jenny’s daughter didn’t simply accompany her mom on her trip from India to the U.S., leaving Sumit behind in his home country, Christina said that wasn’t an option.
“She has a husband, like does nobody realize that?” she replied to someone on Facebook. She has every right to want her husband with her through this journey as anybody would.”
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