Heartless Canada Does It Again - Rejecting Another Immigrant Family Because of Son with Autism

Image by Kaz Novak, The Hamilton Spectator

An immigrant South Korean family, Sungsoo Kim, wife Sunmi Kim, daughter Lisa and son Taehoon, have been living in Canada for the past 9 years. A permanent residency application has been rejected  by Canadian officials because the 12 year old son   is autistic.  He  received the autism diagnosis several years ago but after he and his father, Sungsoo Kim,  had arrived in Canada.   

Change is difficult, very difficult, for many people with autism disorders.  For my severely autistic son slight changes in his daily routines and expectations can result in serious problems.  I can not imagine the harmful impact on this 12 year old autistic boy,  to be sent to another country now, after growing up in Canada over the past 9 years.  He has South Korean heritage, a Korean name and family but this boy after spending 9 of his 12 years in Canada IS Canadian.  

I understand the costs argument but it is still heartless for Canada to send this autistic boy to live in  a country he does not know, absolutely heartless.   If and when harm comes to this boy from this decision Canada must bear a major part of the responsibility.  

I am generally very, very proud to be Canadian but I am not proud of the way we treat good people who have chosen to live among us and become part of Canada because a child is diagnosed after arrival with an autism disorder. Woe, Canada!

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Here We Go Again: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Divides Family, Rules Son with Asperger's and Tourette's Medically Inadmissible

Here we go again. 

Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter with the Toronto Star reports that a Toronto family will be ripped apart by a Citizenship and Immigration Canada  ruling that University of Toronto professor Thomas Reynolds son Chris is is medically inadmissible to Canada and therefore ineligible to stay with his father because of his Asperger's Disorder and Tourettes disorders. As reported by Nicholas Keung:

"Born in Nashville, Tenn., Chris, an American citizen, has lived in Toronto since 2007, with his expatriate father, a tenured theology professor at the University of Toronto’s Emmanuel College, and younger brother, Evan, 17, who is still in high school — both here on their father’s work permit. Shortly after arriving in Toronto, the family applied to immigrate from within Canada.

An early medical assessment by Citizenship and Immigration Canada concluded that Chris would place an “excessive demand” on health and social services, and hinder the family’s chances of being accepted.

Officials never met with Chris but deemed him “medically inadmissible” and estimated his care could cost Canadians $7,000 a year."

It remains to be seen whether people in Toronto and Ontario will exert the kind of pressure necessary to pressure politicians to take action to stop the division of this family.  New Brunswick is a small province where the Cheers refrain  "everybody knows your name" rings very true. Ontario, where I attended high school (Petawawa)  and Toronto, where I have previously worked and  lived are obviously much larger, urban and complex entities than New Brunswick.  Will the plight of one family facing division drive the good people of Ontario to take the intense, sustained action necessary to move politicians and bureaucrats to reverse this family dividing decision?  

Personally I hope so.  In the Reynolds case two sons have been living here for 4  years with their expatriate father who is a tenured professor of theology in Toronto.  I am very uncomfortable with Canada breaking up or exporting families solely because a family member has an autism spectrum diagnosis or any medical condition. There are differing opinions on these issues but I don't like it. To me it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel Canadian. I am hoping for a Vancouver victory in the Stanley Cup Final tonight and I am hoping for a Reynolds family victory in their struggle to stay together. One family. In Canada.

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