A Canadian woman who was seriously injured in a crash that also killed her young son while on vacation in Cuba will be allowed to return home to attend his funeral.
Justine Davis was vacationing in Cuba with her three-year-old son Cameron over the Christmas holiday when the pair was involved in a crash just moments after leaving their resort on Dec. 23. The two were thrown from their rented scooter when it collided with an industrial-sized truck.
The toddler was killed in the collision while Davis was severely injured. Both were wearing helmets according to accounts by friends.
Davis has been in a Cuban hospital since the accident, undergoing multiple surgeries to treat her injuries, including skin grafts.
The Cuban hospital where she is being treated has been willing to release her to a Canadian hospital to continue treatment. But up until now, Cuban officials said they wanted Davis to remain in the country while the crash is under investigation.
Her son’s body was released to return back to Canada Jan. 18 and a funeral is scheduled for this Saturday.
The situation spurred friends to launch a campaign to secure Davis’ release, including the creation of a website designed to tell her story and garner media attention.
Canadian officials announced Thursday that Cuba has agreed to release Davis on “compassionate grounds.”
“Pleased to relay that Ms. Davis is free to leave #Cuba,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Lynne Yelich wrote on her Twitter page Thursday. “We appreciate Cuba’s efforts to resolve this situation.”
Yelich said she personally intervened to help secure Davis’ release.
“Our thoughts are with the mother of the Canadian child who passed away in Cuba,” Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada said in a further statement Thursday.
The ministry said Canadian consular services will continue to support Davis through her return to Canada.
The news was met with elation by friends of Davis who had been petitioning the government to help secure her release.
“We’re overjoyed and overwhelmed. The second I heard it I got a little shaky and teary-eyed,” Amber Hussey, a friend of Davis, told CTV Kitchener.
However Hussey said the news is still bittersweet for Davis, her friends and family.
“She’s excited at the prospect of being home, but at the same time she’s still completely overwhelmed,” Hussey said. “She’s lost her son, her only child. She’s still in a really dark place, but it’s the first step to moving her out of that.”
She said the exact timeline for Davis’ return is not clear, but friends are hoping she will be back home by Friday or early Saturday at the latest.
“We’re hoping she’ll be home by Saturday so she can be part of the service,” Hussey said.
She added Davis will still need ongoing medical treatment when she returns to Canada.
Cameron Davis funeral will be held in a Toronto church Saturday morning.
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