Pleading for compassion has failed to reunite a P.E.I. resident with her eight-year-old boy.
Abigail Henriques, 32, of Belfast has not seen her son, Ruben Henriques, in four months, marking the longest period the pair has ever gone without being together.
Her situation is a bit complicated. Her plight is simply heartbreaking.
Abigail had been living with her parents – Dr. Rick van Gelder and Christa van Gelder – in Newfoundland from the time Ruben was born.
She moved to P.E.I. in October 2017 to begin a work term as an LPN (working in Newfoundland was not viable for personal reasons). Ruben remained in Newfoundland with his grandparents.
Rick, a pediatrician, and Christa, a retired teacher, have combined their talents with great love for Ruben to provide special care.
And Ruben needs very special care.
He is autistic.
He has considerable struggles. He can become easily overstimulated, resulting in him breaking down into fits of crying. He will, at times, hit himself in the head out of frustration.
Abigail, who is working as an LPN at Atlantic Baptist Homes, a long-term care facility in Charlottetown, spent the past two summers with Ruben and has visited him over the Christmas and Easter holidays.
Mother and son are terribly eager to be together once again, this time for good.
The pandemic has delayed the reunion, causing great pain for both Abigail and Ruben.
“The first question he asks is, ‘how many more days mommy? How many more days until I come home?’’’
That date remains uncertain.
The van Gelders made an application in late April to bring Ruben to P.E.I.
Ruben, who is a registered resident of Prince Edward Island with a P.E.I. health card, is allowed to come.
His grandparents, who are not P.E.I. residents, can bring the boy across the Confederation Bridge and pass him over to Abigail, but then they must return to Newfoundland.
That simply does not work, says Christa van Gelder.
“It’s just not feasible,’’ she says.
Christa and her husband have been proposing, unsuccessfully, to bring Ruben to P.E.I. and park their Airstream trailer next to Abigail’s home. They would then spend 14 days self-isolating in the trailer, along with Ruben.
Rick would eventually return to Newfoundland to continue his work as a pediatrician. Christa would stay in Belfast to help Abigail care for Ruben.
Border control
- All non-essential travel into P.E.I. is prohibited. An exception will be made for some on compassionate grounds.
- Peace officers are authorized to turn any person away who attempts to enter the province for unnecessary travel and to require any person to leave the province immediately.
- Screening measures are in place at all entry points to the province, including the Charlottetown Airport, Confederation Bridge, P.E.I.-Isle de la Madeline Ferry. A public health order is in place requiring all individuals entering Prince Edward Island to self-isolate for 14 days.
Source: P.E.I. Department of Justice and Public Safety
The van Gelders are also planning to have construction begin in the summer on a home near Abigail and Ruben, where the van Gelders are looking to retire together and continue to provide help in raising their grandson.
Christa implores the government of P.E.I. to accept on compassionate grounds the proposal for her and Rick to bring Ruben to P.E.I. and for the couple to stay put with the boy in Belfast.
“Rules have to be reasonable,’’ says Christa.
She says the focus must be on what is in the best interest of Ruben.
The prolonged separation from his mother has caused Ruben to become greatly agitated, notes the boy's grandmother, adding he is experiencing meltdowns.
“It’s been long enough,’’ says Christa.
“For his sake, he needs to be where his mommy is … home is where mommy is. He wants to go home.’’
The Guardian has yet to hear back from the province on a request for comment on this case. The Guardian is also asking the government to detail what type of applications to come to P.E.I. based on compassionate basis are being accepted and what types are being rejected.
