David* was four years old when his father came to the United States seeking help for his desperately ill child. When they arrived at the border, government officials separated David and his father under the administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy. David was taken into government custody, diagnosed with a heart defect and scheduled for open heart surgery. This is when we were appointed to his case as Child Advocate.
The Young Center attorney appointed to David’s case was in close touch with both of his parents, who wanted their son to remain in the U.S. to get the medical care he needed but were heartbroken at the thought of being separated from him during his surgery and the months of recovery afterward.
With only two weeks remaining before David’s surgery, we coordinated with a team of people from five different organizations to request humanitarian parole for his parents. Humanitarian parole is an extraordinary measure which allows people to enter the country temporarily, for an emergency. It has always been notoriously difficult to obtain, but it is nearly impossible under the current administration.
Against all odds, on the Friday before the surgery, David’s parents were granted humanitarian parole. We worked around the clock to make sure David’s parents were at his side during a complex but successful surgery.
But that wasn’t the end of the family’s challenges. Once he was cleared for release from the hospital, the government wanted David to return to federal custody until his medical care was complete, but where his parents would be limited to one visit a day. Undeterred, our attorney convinced the hospital to provide David’s on-going medical care free of charge so that he could live with his family during his recovery. With this final hurdle removed, David was reunified with his parents after a seven-month separation.
Thanks to you, David is safe and healthy.Consider giving today on #GivingTuesdayNow to help us serve more children facing extraordinary hardships. All donations are doubled, thanks to a generous Young Center supporter.
Thank you so much,
Maria Woltjen
Executive Director
