POLOKWANE – Seven-year-old Julie* spent nine days inside a small room with a door that could barely close living off of peanut butter and dried noodles. The house is situated on a small holding in the middle of Limpopo. It is summer and the smell inside the room is horrific. The scene is even worse because next to Julie lies her mother, Jax’s badly decomposed body.
Lisa Pyne-Mercier is Julie’s (now nine) legal guardian and has been trying to get her to Canada for two years.
“The last date Jax made contact with the family was December 31, 2019. She had a good job and looked forward to the next year. According to Julie, she and Jax went to town for the morning and when they got back, Jax went to lie down as she did not feel well.”
After a few hours, Julie was hungry and decided to wake Jax up but she did not respond.
“In the first week of the new year, Jax‘s employer as well as Julie’s teacher got worried as they had not returned after the holidays. They decided to visit Jax and Julie, accompanied by the police and when they got there they found a dirty, crying Julie whose first words to them were ‘the flies killed my mom.’”
Lisa said the extreme heat accelerated the decomposition of Jax’s body and that Julie was taken to the hospital for treatment and was placed in immediate temporary care with six other children in a home.
“The initial social worker and foster parents made communicating with Julie nearly impossible. Two weeks after she was placed in foster care, she had to get a full blood transfer due to malaria. For 10 weeks I was denied any contact. The social worker also requested me not to visit South Africa as I reside in Canada.”
Lisa realised what was happening was not in the best interest of the child. She hired a lawyer, Yasmeen Bhamje, who helped her fight for her rights as a legal guardian.
“She helped me get in contact with Julie and remove her from the initial foster parents and she is now in a loving, caring home.”
But this story is not over yet.
For months, Lisa has filled in forms, gone to court, spoken with the minister of parliament in her neighbourhood in Canada and written letters to the Canadian Ambassador to South Africa and to the Canadian Minister of Immigration and Refugees.
“After our seventh affidavit and uncountable attempts, we finally received a date to appear in the High Court. We were in court on June 28 and heard the South African High Court recognised Jax’s final will and testament. I was granted guardianship and full parental rights to Julie.”
A month later, all documents were lost but with the help from Bhamje, Lisa re-submitted them and since then has not heard any news on when she can take Julie to Canada.
“Julie has emotional issues. She was left waiting to be found next to her mom, waiting for a better foster home and now waiting to come to me. Even with everything that has happened to her, she is still generous, kind and considerate towards others. She has no bitterness or anger. All she needs now is stability and a loving home.”
Lisa’s struggles remain as Julie has been denied a visa to enter Canada and she returns home on October 27.
“I am by all rights her mom. Why are people refusing her a home and parents? How can I leave without my child? Somewhere, someone should be able to help,” she said.
Anyone who is willing to assist with legal and/or travel fees can contact Lisa via email on lisapynemercier@gmail.com
*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the minor
