Ryleigh's Journey to Canada

Early January 2021, in the searing South African heat, Ryleigh, aged 7, was found next to her mother’s decomposing body.

As her legal guardian, I am seeking support to help bring Ryleigh to Canada, where she can start her new life.

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My name is Lisa Pyne-Mercier. I came to Canada more than ten years ago from South Africa and settled in the small village of Shawnigan Lake. I am passionately connected to the local community and work at the local coffee and chocolate shop.

We are grateful that on 28 June, the South African High Court ruled in favour of Ryleigh's late mother’s Will, granting me Legal Guardianship and full parental rights to Ryleigh. This 18-month-long ordeal has cost our family more than $200,000 as we worked to navigate the complexities of international law between two countries that hadn’t yet experienced a child being willed outside their home country.

Sadly, we're not done yet, and we need your help.

We are seeking help to bring Ryleigh to Canada, where she can start her new trauma-free life and begin her healing journey into a loving family, as per her late mother’s wishes. Your donation will support my travel to South Africa to fetch Ryleigh and our return home to Canada.

Please consider being part of Ryleigh's incredible journey.

“Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference.”

- Kathy Calvin (President & CEO - UN foundation)

Thank you for making a difference and helping R and for bringing her closer to the loving, supportive life she so deserves.

Ryleigh's Journey

In February 2016, my sister (G) died in a tragic motorbike accident, leaving me as the guardian of her most prized possessions, her children, Jax (27) and I.R (19). As the girls were no longer children, I assumed the role of 'mother' as best as I could from afar.

In 2019, Jax (30) purchased an acreage about 15 km outside Tzaneen, and was living there with her young daughter, Ryleigh (7). Their home was a cement structure of less than 400 square feet which had one door (which did not close properly) and one window. This remote, off-grid home was only accessible by 4x4 or motorbike due to the rugged terrain. Electricity was by means of a generator, water was drawn from a rain-water harvester, and a single plate gas-operated cooktop was their only means of cooking. There was no refrigerator and no bathroom or shower as you or I would know one. Our family later learnt that Jax and Ryleigh lived in abject poverty.

In October of 2020, I.R (23) relocated to the UK with her boyfriend, and Jax (31) and Ryleigh (7) stayed in their remote dwelling in SA.

Jax had started working for a car detailer in November 2020, had proven to be a hard-working employee, and the boss had grown fond of her. Mid-December, Jax was not feeling well and went to the local hospital, where she saw a doctor who gave her a sick note saying she should return to work on January 5th.

In late December, Jax made a Facebook post saying she was still not feeling well and that after Christmas, she (now 31) and Ryleigh (7) would go and get tested for COVID. On December 28th, she again shared on social media that she was happy both she and Ryleigh had tested negative.

In what would be her last Facebook post to her sister (I.R) on December 31st, Jax explained that she was taking antibiotics for what we understand was bronchitis. She was not able to walk without collapsing, felt like her head was in a daze, and could not focus.

Days passed, and Jax failed to show up for work, so her boss had grown seriously concerned. He asked a staff member to please go past her place and check up on her, and to take the police with him. I assume he did that because farm intrusions and murders are common in SA. At the same time, across town, the After Care teacher had been wondering why Ryleigh had not returned.

On Saturday, January 9th, the first to arrive was Jax's colleague (JP), followed by the police and the After Care Teacher. Nothing could have prepared either of them for what they were about to discover.

The temperature in that part of South Africa had reached more than 40+ over the past week, and Jax’s body had reached an advanced stage of decomposition. Her body was surrounded by flies, and there was little Ryleigh, clinging to life, traumatized, scared, angry, dehydrated, soiled, and crying, “..the flies killed my mommy.”

That statement alone gives us an idea of perhaps how long Jax had been decaying in her bed, the overwhelming heat and the traumatic ordeal Ryleigh had been through.

JP called 911, and the After Care Teacher took Ryleigh to the local hospital for treatment.

Shortly after Ryleigh arrived at the hospital, there was an outbreak of COVID, and the hospital shut down. Ryleigh was placed in the immediate temporary care and was 1 of 6 other foster children in this home. Initially, it was challenging to get to speak with Ryleigh, as the foster parents and social worker refused to grant me access to Ryleigh saying that she was in a state of shock.

I learned that two weeks after Ryleigh was placed into temporary foster care, she was diagnosed with Malaria and had a full blood transfusion at the hospital.

Eventually, I received a call from the social worker, who said while she was aware I’d be named legal guardian, she suggested that I don't come to South Africa because they do not know if I would actually be granted guardianship and she did not want to give the child false hope.

When we were finally able to call Ryleigh quite sometime later, we could tell that something was not quite right. Each time we called, the foster parents could be heard screaming and shouting in the background. During most of those calls, we could only see her eyes. They would dart around, often be fixated on something or someone in the room with her.

I began voicing my opinion that something wasn’t quite right, and I found myself blocked from all contact with Ryleigh. My concerns fell on the deaf ears of the social worker. At this stage, I obtained a lawyer and sadly it took 10 weeks and numerous letters, phone calls, and court sessions before I was able to speak with Ryleigh again.

We hired private social workers, independent psychologists and play therapists who helped to facilitate contact with Ryleigh, unmonitored by the temporary foster parents. During these visits, Ryleigh was famished and spent most of the time eating food presented by the social worker – another indication to us that something wasn’t right at home.

To make matters worse, more time-consuming and expensive, I.R. decided to contest her sister’s will, causing further delay in the process toward official legal guardianship. To prove our competence and ability to be stable parents to Ryleigh, we had to undergo psychological tests, pass police clearances including biometrics, arrange character references, and more. All of these processes continued to cost us significant time and money.

In December, after more than 11 months of fighting for Ryleigh to be moved into a different home, a new social worker was appointed, and Ryleigh was moved into a kind, loving foster home. What a wonderful Christmas gift that was for everyone! Our video calls became more regular, and Ryleigh was visibly more relaxed. After a short time, we could tell the little girl we once knew was beginning to emerge again – with smiles, memories, and in-depth conversations.

After our 7th Affidavit and numerous attempts, we finally received a High Court date for confirmation of guardianship.

On June 28, 2022, we received word that the South African High Court recognized Jax’s Final Will and Testament, and I was granted guardianship and full parental rights to Ryleigh.

C.S. Lewis said, ‘hardships prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny,’ and we believe this to be true for Ryleigh.

We are so close to being able to provide the loving, stable home that she so deserves, and we need your help to get Ryleigh to Canada.

Thank you so much for your kind support of this beautiful child, who deserves to feel safe, loved, and supported by the community in which she is soon to join.

- Lisa