LaSalle Hospital: a refugee mother almost separated from her child, for lack of a car seat

< p>A mother, seeking asylum in Canada, was very nearly separated from her baby last Thursday evening, following a visit to LaSalle Hospital.

The woman, who had been told that she was scheduled to leave the establishment in the evening, did not have a child car seat, allowing her to carry her newborn baby and take him with her, reports CTV News.

In a panic, she turned to a member of the Refugee Claimant Donations Montreal Facebook group, which helps asylum seekers in Montreal. This person, Carolyn De Bien, had helped the mother to plan her appointment at the health centre.

She explains that she received the following message: “oh my god, for heaven's sake help me, they are asking me to leave the hospital tonight at 11 p.m. and I have no child seat, no blankets. I do not know what to do”.

Thanks to collective action by the group of volunteers, the mother was finally able to get the necessary equipment in time and leave the hospital with her baby. Caroyln De Bien was able to provide him with blankets, but another person delivered the precious car seat.

According to Melissa Caisse, who works with the charity the Welcome Collective, this kind of situation is far from uncommon. Child seats are popular objects for refugee aid associations. The woman draws attention to the fact that asylum seekers have to deal with limited resources and very tight budgets.

“Child seats are one of the things we always need, because families are not allowed to leave the hospital if they do not have seats to transport their children,” says Melissa Box.

To the list of difficulties affecting asylum seekers, there are also long waiting times to obtain a work permit, adds the volunteer, who says that these people find themselves “stranded”.

The Welcome Collective indicates that they are currently looking for child seats, diapers, towels and other supplies.