A seven-year-old boy has been reunited with his mother after the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah answered his plea for help.
Archie Appleyard wrote to Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi to explain his mum, Jessica Fitzjohn, had become stuck in Britain after the UAE closed its borders in March.
The youngster said he was desperate for the royal’s assistance given it was “52 sleeps now that I have been apart from my mummy”.
Sheikh Saud took the handwritten note to heart and promised to intervene on his behalf. Archie's mother landed in the UAE in the early hours of Wednesday, May 13.
“My reason for my letter is to ask your help to free my mummy from Covid lockdown in the United Kingdom,” Archie wrote.
"She went to say goodbye to Grandad Peto and got stuck. It has been 52 sleeps now that I have been apart from my mummy.
“I hope you get this letter soon and thank you so much for any help.”
Archie, a grade one pupil at RAK Academy Al Hamra, wrote the letter to Sheikh Saud on May 11.
In it, he drew a picture of his mother entitled “the day my mummy comes back home to me”.
It depicts his mum at the top of the steps to a plane, with him waiting at the bottom, arms outstretched.
There is also an arrow in the drawing pointing to himself, with the caption “Archie so happy to be back with mummy”.
Incredibly, the schoolboy received a response to his note just 24-hours later on May 12.
Sheikh Saud’s reply was hand-delivered by an employee of the Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office.
In the letter, he said that he understood why Archie was missing his mother, adding: “I am very proud of you for being a brave boy.
“I hope bringing her home will make you smile.”
Ms Fitzjohn, who will now spend 14 days in quarantine, said she was extremley grateful for the intervention.
“I can’t thank the Ruler enough for his kindness in organising my return,” she said. “I will be so ever grateful for this moment. Thank you very much to everyone involved.”
Archie’s father, Richard, said everyone was overjoyed to be together again. “We are absolutely overwhelmed to have received a handwritten letter from His Highness. We are forever thankful.”
Posting on his Instagram account, Sheikh Saud wrote: "We worked to help reunite him with his mother at the earliest opportunity, highlighting on Zayed Humanitarian Day that the UAE will always be a beacon of humanity in this world."
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Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
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