P.E.I. woman hopes to be reunited with 8-year-old son after months of separation

AP.E.I.woman hopes to be reunited with her eight-year-old son and her parents this week, after several months of seeking permission for them to move to P.E.I. from Newfoundland.

Abigail Henriques is originally from Newfoundland and has worked in P.E.I. since 2017.

Because of an inability to find suitable child care on P.E.I., her son Ruben has been livingwith her parents,who own property on the Island where they plan to retire. Over the past three years Ruben and his grandmother have been travelling to P.E.I. as often as possible for visits,with a plan to relocate permanently to the Island this summer a plan that was put on hold indefinitely due to COVID-19.

"It has been stressful," said Henriques.

"I've seen my parents struggling with it badly, having to put these applications in, trying to figure out: OK what else do they want from us? And then my son most importantly my son, wrapping himself in blankets, hiding his face when on video chat because he can't look his mom in the face when he wants to break down and cry."

'On paper, we had everything'

This spring, when it was clear school wouldn't likely resume, the family made plans the relocate to P.E.I. sooner than planned.

They applied to the province to be admitted on compassionate grounds,so Ruben and his mother could be reunited.

But three separate applications were denied because Ruben's grandparents were not yet permanent residents of the Island.

I feel that they've really gone to quite an extreme. Abigail Henriques

"On paper, we had everything," saidHenriques, who said the family had a full plan for self-isolation, in a fully-serviced trailer on their own property.

"All we got, was that mom and dad were not residents of P.E.I."

The family was given the option ofdropping Ruben off at the Confederation Bridge for his mom to pick up.But as a licensed practical nurse at a Charlottetown long-term care home,Henriques wasn't able to find child care for her son, who has some special needs.

"I would have to pick him up, and then I would have to go into isolation with him. And yet at the same time they were saying that I would isolate at home when not working but since I'm an essential worker I can go to work. So I'm putting my residents at risk as well at work. It didn't make sense what they were saying and what they were asking."

Hopeful for Friday

This weekthe family received notice that thedecision has been reversed and they can come to the Island this Friday.

Henriques said it shouldn't have taken so long for her parentsto be permitted to enter the province with her son. Shesaid she'd like to be a voice for others who are trying to re-join loved ones, and facing a lot of anger, fear and criticism from P.E.I. residentswho are worried about additional cases of COVID-19.

"I'm standing up for all seasonal residents. I'm standing up for those who are too scared to come out and say something," saidHenriques.

"I can understand you want to prevent it, that you do the best you can, but there is also such a thing as extreme and going too far and I feel that they've really gone to quite an extreme,' she said.

She saidshe won't be able to relax until her family has arrived on P.E.I. and thathugging her son for the first time once his 14-day self-quarantine with his grandparents is complete will be the best feeling in the world.

"After that isolation I know Ruben will come bursting out those doors, and come over here and hug his mom and never let go ever again."

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