What I read is something that, as father of a 16 months old boy, I am especially sensitive to. It is also something which appeals to some of the most basic civil concepts as well as to a compassion feeling that should be a common base to all human beings. Of course that isn't the case and this is especially true when we see something like this taking place in one of those countries we include within the list of the more advanced and civilized ones. This is also a pilot light about how many injustices are in the world which are just there, awaiting to be eradicated.
The story is simple. Little Sam, 3yo boy living in Caledon Town, Ontario, Canada, is born with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Sam can't walk or crawl and when he was younger he also suffered from lung problems which can make him prone to possible infection. The boy suffers also from seizures.
To all this suffering Sam has only one thing, apart from his mother and grandparents, that bring joy to his difficult life: his mini pony Emily who's a gift from Sam's grandfather.
Sam rides Emily and he's happy, I imagine him dominating the world from the height of his pony friend. She holds him on his back from which he can feel freedom in a world where he can't move the way a boy of his age would like to do. I can understand deeply in my heart what he feels because I know how much my son, Robert, like to move, run, crawl and twirls like a little Tasman devil.
Now it comes the harsh news. Antonia Spiteri who's the mother of Sam, received a notice from the Town that, due to neighbours complaints and a so called out-of-the-law usage of her own property, Emily must be removed. It seems that Antonia's neighbours find the smell of Emily a severe threat to their life standards and the Town finds unacceptable to maintain a mini pony (called livestock) on a one acre property that borders a cattle farm.
Antonia, who is a single mom living with her parents, is struggling to avoid her son to be separated from Emily. Sam is really attached to the pony and Antonia says that he cries when they take him off the pony, even if he's tired. More of a friend Emily is also part of a therapy for Sam whose core muscles need to be strengthen. Sam's mother has already begun to show her son the possibility that the pony could go away. So Sam gets very upset every time they take him off Emily because he fear he will not see her again.
Antonia's going to discuss this issue to the Caledon committee of adjustment on Dec. 10. This procedure will cost her something about 1000 Canadian Dollars which are something about 650 Euro. It'sis really frustrating and absurd and tragically ridiculous that besides his serious conditions Sam, who's only 3 years old, must also face the cruelty of neighbours and the stupidity of bureaucracy.
I just want to spread the voice about this situation. I only ask you to send an e-mail to Antonia to let Sam and her your support. They need it for sure.
Her e-mail is:
If you also want to send a message of concern to the Caledon city council you will find the e-mail contacts to this page of the town website.
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