RAK Ruler reunites Archie, 7, with his mother after months apart
A seven-year-old boy who appealed to the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah for help in bringing his mother home has been reunited with her after more than two months apart.
Archie Appleyard wrote to Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi to explain that his mother, Jessica Fitzjohn, was stranded in the UK after the UAE closed its borders in March.
Ms Fitzjohn had intended to take a five-day trip to the UK to attend her father’s funeral.
Sheikh Saud intervened after reading Archie’s heartfelt letter and ensured that Ms Fitzjohn was flown back to the Emirates.
Mother and son hugged for the first time in 67 days on Wednesday, in the lobby of the hotel where she spent her 14day quarantine.
Ms Fitzjohn said there were times when it felt the separation would never end.
“I really don’t think the penny has dropped yet,” she said.
“I thought it might have dropped when I was in quarantine but it still hasn’t. I’m kind of waiting,” she said.
Ms Fitzjohn had never spent more than one night away from her son until she flew back to say goodbye to her father in February.
“Everyone stuck outside [the UAE] completely understood why they had to do it, but there was no end in sight,” Ms Fitzjohn said.
The situation felt similarly hopeless to Archie. After becoming increasingly desperate and spending “52 sleeps” thousands of miles away from his mother, he wrote to Sheikh Saud.
Within eight hours he received a royal reply saying how proud Sheikh Saud was of Archie, and how he hoped bringing his mother home would make him smile.
Twenty-four hours later, Ms Fitzjohn touched down in Dubai and was soon on her way back to Ras Al Khaimah in a chauffeur-driven car, accompanied by a police escort.
“I am extremely proud of Archie.
“It was amazing, really very lovely. We all feel very fortunate,” she said.