Governments talk about compassionate grounds for granting an exception to their travel restrictions. They also express their gratitude to the health care workers. In P.E.I., Charlottetown’s highest honour, the Key of the City, was presented to all health-care workers across the province earlier this month. Our daughter is a single mother and LPN in P.E.I. Her eight-year old, autistic son is a P.E.I. resident but, given his special needs and her demanding shift work, he lives with us, his grandparents, in Newfoundland during the school year.
We offered our assistance in bringing mother and son together, while the mother continues to provide her health-care services. Together with our grandson, we are able to self-isolate for the required 14 days on our own rural property. Our application for entry for that purpose was rejected three times.
Do government officials really know what “compassionate grounds” are? Do they really believe that for a mother the Key of the City of Charlottetown is more important than being reunited with her only child?"
Dr. J. R. van Gelder,
Pediatrician
Corner Brook, N.L.
