NZIS Deporting single mum of 2

I came from South Africa to New Zealand in July 2003 where I met and fell in love with my kiwi born husband, we had a beautiful son together, Cail, now 3 years old. I had my daughter,Willow now 5 years old, from a previous relationship with me.

Things between my husband and I went very well for a while but then things went sour, he began to estrange my daughter and became very physical with her.

Proof of this is held with Child Youth and Family, So I decided it was in my childrens best interest to leave the situation, I ran from Otorohanga to New Plymouth where my family live, But of course because I was no longer with my husband my immigration status was then in jeopardy. Knowing that I would not qualify for a work permit as i had no previous skills or qualifications i engaged the held of an immigration lawyer who managed to get me a work permit as a caregiver working for a private hospital and resthome here in new plymouth on 2 March 2006.

During my employ at the resthome I managed to study as much as I could and gain my National certificate in support of the elder person,palliative care,emergency care responder II,wound care and various in service educations.
I became the senior team leader for the resthome responsible for the lives of 31 elderly people as well as numerous staff below me.

I applied in February 2007 for an extension of my work permit as I had just applied for my residency under the family quota.

It took 4 months for the immigration department to return my passports stating that I had been declined as the nzis believed that my occupation was not a skills shortage in nz. I then contacted an immigration lawyer and began an application under section 35A to allow me to reapply for a work permit, I gathered as much statistics and evidence from various government departments to prove that Caregiving for the elderly was a huge shortage in new zealand, and based on the evidence it would appear that the elderly population of nz is in dire straits when it comes to availability of carers for them.

I received a response from the immigration department yesterday stating that I had yet again been declined and I must be prepared to face deportation.
Every last living member of my family are in new zealand and are new zealand residents. My mum,step father, sister, brother, granmother, uncle,aunt,cousins x2. My son is a new citizen, Cail's father has written an affidavit stating that he will not consent to Cail leaving New Zealand, therefore I would be forced to leave my 3 year old son behind, he knows no one but me, how can the nzis sleep at night knowing that they have seperated a child from his mother and taken away my right as a mother and his right to have a mother?

Furthermore my daughter, Willow, a south african born child. Would also be deported as the nzis will not give her a renewal on her student visa, we have no home, no souce of income and no one to go to in south africa, the nzis are forcing me and my daughter to become destitute and homeless. My daughter knows no other country or freedom like New Zealand, when I told her she could not go to school anymore she became hysterical, crying and asking why she was being punished. this is a question I would like the nzis to answer.

I cannot afford to buy a ticket out of new zealand as the immigration department has not allowed me to work. Due to this situation I have been unable to work and provide for my children, I cannot afford food, to pay for my power, to pay my lawyer, to pay my rent and all other necessities.

My family members are not in the financial position to help me financially. I have spent my time in nz caring for the elderly population of new zealand i have been there for them when their families have not, I was a member of the falls strategy team which implemented a new zealand wide strategy to reduce the number of falls and fall related injuries in the elderly population. We were nominated for the nz safety awards and came second.

The people i have looked after over the years all know that i am asset to the nz population and when they became aware of my situation they were very upset and kept asking what they could do to asisit me.

Why are my children and I being punished just because my chosen profession is not deemed important enough? why are the elderly population being punished by not being given sufficiently qualified carers?

Please help me, I am terrified of what awaits me if the deportation is carried out. If not for me, please save my children.