Change.org: Kicked out of Canada for having Asperger’s?

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Change.org: Kicked out of Canada for having Asperger’s?

28 Jun

Tell Immigration Canada not to separate Chris Reynolds from his family simply because he has Asperger’s syndrome.

A single dad has two sons — a 17-year-old and a 21-year-old, the elder of whom has Asperger’s and Tourette’s syndromes. They live a comfortable life in Toronto, where the dad is a professor of theology. But Canada’s immigration officials have decided that the older son can’t become a Canadian citizen because his medical conditions would be too costly to treat.

What should the dad do? Leave his job and move his family from the home where they’ve lived for years? Or stay with his younger son and watch his older son deported because of illnesses he can’t control?

This is the impossible dilemma that Toronto professor Tom Reynolds is facing, because Canada doesn’t want to deal with Tom’s son, Chris.

Sign the petition to tell Immigration Canada to allow Chris to stay in Toronto.

Tom, Chris, and Evan (Tom’s younger son) are good members of Canadian society. They moved to Toronto from America, and they want to become Canadian citizens. But Immigration Canada has decided instead to use Chris as a bargaining chip — only if Chris leaves can his family’s citizenship application proceed.

“The end verdict is a judgment of worthlessness,” says Tom. “Chris has a lot of potential to contribute many gifts to Canada.”

This isn’t the first time Immigration Canada has tried to separate a family. Earlier this year, the Maeng family was nearly forced to leave Canada when immigration officials tried to deport their autistic son. But more than 7,000 Change.org members signed a petition in support of the Maengs, and, a few weeks ago, we got some great news: Immigration Canada decided to let the Maengs stay in Canada.

Good samaritan Lisa Middleton lives in the same New Brunswick town as the Maengs, and she started the Change.org petition to help them. When she read about what was happening to Chris Reynolds, she knew that a public campaign could help him, too, so she started another petition.

No one should be kicked out of Canada for being sick, and no family should have to choose between their home and their children. Please sign the petition to tell Immigration Canada not to deport Chris Reynolds:

http://www.change.org/petitions/dont-let-immigration-canada-separate-chris-reynolds-from-his-family

Thanks for taking action,

– Jackie and the Change.org team