Trip to Tim Hortons high on list of woman barred from entering B.C. since borders shutdown

SEATTLE, WA (NEWS 1130) — Tears will likely be flowing Friday, August 13, when a Seattle health care worker, who grew up in British Columbia, comes home for the first time since December of 2019 and finally gets to hug her parents.

Regina Campos says she and her toddler are both looking forward to the long-anticipated reunion.

“I feel very excited, anxious, these next few days are probably going to feel like an eternity (laughs) until we get there, but with my son Camilo, you know, every day I keep telling him ‘We’re going to go to Canada. We’re going to go see grandma and grandpa’ and he’ll say ‘Canada?’ and I just can’t wait to just be able to hug them.”

Mynor Campos says he hasn’t seen his grandson, Camilo, in 18 months. (Submitted)

She says she was planning to surprise her family in Coquitlam, but decided she better tell them in case she encounters problems at the border on Friday.

Her father, Mynor, recently told NEWS 1130 his grandson wasn’t even crawling the last time they were all together.

Related Article: Canadian, American families separated by travel bans question U.S. extension

Campos says her son was born prematurely and she wishes her parents could have spent more time with him over the past 18 months.

“Now, he’s jumping, running around, talking a lot. You know, it’s unfortunate that they missed out on all those milestones, but thank goodness he’s okay and, you know, we’re really looking forward to having this family reunion.”

She adds the worst part of being apart since December 2019 was worrying about the health of her parents and she wishes the border could have re-opened sooner to fully vaccinated visitors from the #US.

"It's been quite tough. We're a very close-knit family." #COVID19 @NEWS1130

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) August 8, 2021

As for what she’s looking forward to most, Campos says she just wants to be able to hug everyone.

“Enjoy my mom’s home-cooked meals, take my son to Stanley Park and walk around. I grew up going there and having an Iced Capp from Tim Horton’s. I’m a Canadian girl at heart.”

She adds the worst part of being separated for so long was worrying about the health of her parents.

“It’s been quite tough. You know, we’re a very close-knit family. We talk everyday and FaceTime as much as we can, so when the borders shut down, mentally and emotionally, it was quite hard. There was definitely some tears along the way. My biggest fear was God forbid something were to happen, like, if they got COVID and I wasn’t able to go there or vice versa.”

Campos also says she wishes the border could have opened sooner for people who are fully vaccinated because she’s been immunized against COVID-19 since January.