A dad has been reunited with his daughter nearly three years after she was taken abroad by her mother.
Henry Da Massa had not seen his daughter Pearl since she disappeared aged five after he dropped her off at her nursery in 2008.
He discovered Pearl’s mother Helen Gavaghan, 32, had taken the youngster from her Chorlton home to Mexico, the US and then Canada.
An international police hunt was launched and Henry moved from Manchester to Toronto in a bid to find Pearl.
But now he has finally been reunited with his daughter after she was found in Montreal.
He and Pearl, now seven, are on their way back to Manchester from Gatwick airport after the Canadian courts gave them permission to fly back to Britain.
It is believed Helen has been arrested and is being held in Canada.
Henry said: “I’m elated. It was only when we got on the plane that I really knew we were coming home. It was the end of the mayhem and we could finally get back to normality.”
Henry said he worked closely with Canadian authorities and Greater Manchester Police during his long and difficult search for his missing daughter.
The High Court ruled Helen had broken the law by taking Pearl out of the country and police had said she would be arrested if she returned to Britain.
Hopes were raised last summer after it emerged Pearl had been spotted in Toronto. Henry told the MEN at the time how he felt he was close to finding her.
But it was more than a year until they were finally reunited.
Henry, who used to live on Tib Street in Manchester city centre, met Helen while she was working at Matt And Phred’s jazz club in the Northern Quarter in 2003.
They had Pearl the following year. They split up and were granted joint custody just weeks before Helen, of Clifton Road, Chorlton, and Pearl disappeared.
Henry said: ““Pearl was told she didn’t have a father. We’ve had to go back to where we were three years ago and get used to each other again. She’s started to remember her old bedroom in Tib Street.
“I couldn’t have asked for more from the Montreal authorities. Finding and bringing Pearl home been a combination of hard work and good fortune, vigilance and the public response.”
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I'm chuffed for you Henry, I'm sure Jan, will have a coffee waiting at night and day.
Fantastic news, I am so happy for Henry and Pearl to be finally reunited. This has been a long hard fight for both of them. I hope the mother now gets jailed for what she has done to these two innocent people. Wish I could be at the airport when proud dad and daughter land in Manchester. Hope things go well for them from now on, they deserve peace and happiness.
That is brilliant news.
really pleased for you Henry
Henry, Pearl, I am so happy for you both. You are a wonderful father who never gave up on finding your daughter. I am so proud of you, and so inexplicably happy that you've been reunited with Pearl. This is a wonderful and momentous day, and I hope to see you both soon. Love A, Y & S XXX
I'm so happy for Henry & Pearl! I saw them at a local WalMart here in Toronto back in the summer of 2010 and contacted the police - was given a tip number and told to I can't follow up for 6 weeks minimum on whether my tip helped... was in absolute agony from the moment I called until I heard about this wonderful reunion! Probably wasn't my tip, but I can always hoped that it may have helped in some way - love to all and enjoy your new union!
I'm so happy for Henry & Pearl! I provided a tip to the Toronto police department back in the summer of 2010 because I saw Pearl and her mother at a local WalMart - right in front of me at the check out!!! I couldn't place them right away until I got home and remembered them from the news ~ my heart sank, my tears started, and the disappointment in myself not realizing what I could have prevented raged! Frantically once I could talk without breaking down, I called the Toronto police TIP line and gave them the details. Needless to say, after being given a Tip Confirmation number and being told that I can follow up in 6-10 weeks - my heart sank even more. It's such a miracle that again today, I turn on the news and BANG the first story I hear is this wonderful news! All I can hope for in order to dry my once again flowing tears is that Henry & Pearl enjoy and cherish every site, smell, quiet moment - all of it. With love from a newly healed heart in Toronto. xoxo
I'm so very happy for Henry & Pearl! I'm from Toronto and saw Pearl and her mother at a local WalMart back in the summer of 2010. I remember Pearl talking to her mother and that's what grabbed my attention - she was so cute! Then, I heard Pearl called Helen "Daddy" and I remember the look on Helen's face and her stating calmly and reassuringly... "Daddy (with a chuckle)... do I look like Daddy". I thought it was so cute that she innocently just said "nope", I meant "Mommy", how do they get the little people in the egg? Pearl had a Kinder Egg (the one's with the toys inside - I chuckled softly and Helen smiled at me. Then, to my surprise, I go home, turn on the local news and the first story is a re-birth of the "Missing Pearl / Belle from England" trying to stir up new leads... OMG!!!!!!! What an omen!! Needless to say, I start crying, call the Toronto TIPS line, provide them with every EXACT detail that I could remember, including the cash register lane and the fact there was a camera right above - then cried again when they told me I can't follow up on whether the tip helped for 8 weeks. I was given a confirmation number for follow up but each time I called, was told that there was no updates that could be shared. Now, even more of an omen... I turn on the local news 15 minutes ago and the first story is "Pearl has been found in Montreal and is now back in England"! All I can say is there is always hope... enjoy each moment & each other. With love from a newly healed Toronto heart!
Completely sympathise with this guy's plight after losing contact with his daughter and admire his efforts to get her back into his life. Presumably, the break up with the child's mother was acrimonious for her to have taken her away in such a manner. However, as far as the little girl is concerned, she has been forcibly parted from her mother in such a way that it cannot be good for her, whatever our, and her ex-partner's, views on her actions in taking her abroad in the first place. Don't want to seem too negative on what the MEN is passing off as a "good news" story, but the little girl is the main consideration here.
well done mate , hope it all goes well for yous , ive been through similar ,all the best for the future .
Congratulations, I had the same thing last year after 10 long years....
But cafcas and the courts were to blame as when I had ordered visits, my ex-wife deny me access and the police were no good in helping. (NOT GMP)
My father died last year and there was this young lady standing their crying and that was my daughter, in the last year we have had several meeting and now rebuilding our relationship.
Pearl & Henry, go slowly, don't force it and enjoy the time together.