A Houston mother is hoping to reunite with her 2-year-old son who is stranded in Wuhan, China, which has been on lockdown due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) breakout.
Fen Xin’s 2-year-old son Allen traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, with his grandparents to celebrate the Lunar New Year. However, the virus broke out in mid-January right around the time of the celebration, according to ABC13.
Xin spends most of her days glued to her phone checking on updates about the situation and waiting for phone calls or messages from her relatives in the city.
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“He’s my son, I’m the mom. So, at this moment, no matter what, I want to be with him,” she told the news network.
The United States government has started evacuating Americans stranded in Wuhan. Around 500 Americans have already returned to the U.S., according to AsAm News.
Allen’s trip back home, however, encountered an obstacle as his grandparents were not American citizens and only carried valid travel visas.
“What if my parents get infected? Nobody can take care of Allen,” Xin said. “If they get infected, you have to be separate from Allen or he will get infected, right?”
Fortunately, the U.S. government allowed Allen’s grandfather to board one of the evacuation planes along with the toddler. The plane reportedly stopped in Canada to drop off some evacuees, then landed in San Diego at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, according to flight-tracking websites.
Though they still have no confirmation, Xin believes her son and father are now safe in San Diego. She is still waiting to hear from the government if she will have to wait another 14 days to see her son.
Feature Image Screenshot via ABC13
