Seeking compassion

Woman living in P.E.I. eager to reunite with her son

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.

CONTRIBUTED Abigail Henriques of Belfast, P.E.I., has not seen her son, Ruben, in four months. She fears the wait to reunite could prove much longer if the province does not accept an application on compassionate grounds that would see Ruben's grandparents bring the boy to P.E.I. from Newfoundland and have the trio self-isolate together in a trailer.