After three heartbreaking weeks of waiting, Lismore-based dad Brad Jones was finally given an exemption to cross the Queensland border to see his critically-ill four year daughter Charlotte in a Brisbane children’s hospital.

Brad said it was for two hours only, and when the time was up, security guards escorted him back to his car to make sure he immediately began the drive back to Lismore – with no stops on the way.

“I could barely even see the road as I was driving – I was crying that hard,” Brad said. “When I looked at her, I thought we would be burying her. It took my breath away to see my little girl like that.”

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Leukemia

Over the last few weeks, Charlotte, who is critically ill and being treated for leukemia, has taken a turn for the worse. 

“Last Friday afternoon, Charlotte had a seizure and was placed in ICU and sedated,” he said. “She’s in a bad way – she had a liver infection and was yellow and jaundiced. 

“She’ll be in ICU for a few weeks yet, but they have finally got her off the respirator, but it’s still a long road ahead. She was 15kg when she was admitted, then she got to 23kg because of the fluid build up in her body. 

“The oncologist said the next 48 hours will see her either take a turn for the worse, or go the right way.”

Quarantine

Brad is devastated that he can no longer travel over the border to visit Charlotte without the burden of an expensive stay in quarantine for two weeks each visit. He also has the job of looking after he and his partner’s other children in Lismore and is trying to get Queensland authorities to let the family cross the border and stay in the cancer care accommodation unit together.

“I’ve applied for another exemption to visit again, but haven’t heard anything yet,” he said.

“It’s not fair. There’s no heart coming from the Queensland Government in this situation – it’s a joke. It’s all politics and it’s not about Australians and our lives.

Hotspot

“I’ve asked MP Kevin Hogan to ask them what is a true hotspot? There are no new Covid cases here, but Brisbane has cases. Are they classified as a hotspot now?

“Why can’t Lismore be a part of this border bubble so we can travel? I know they didn’t want to do it because of Byron Bay and the tourists that come there. 

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Inhumane

“I saw the case on the news of the father who couldn’t get across to see his dying child and the case of the mother with twins who was turned away and one of babies died - that’s inhumane- we are not in a third world country.

“They will let 400 football players go there though – it’s all about the money.”

Brad said Charlotte is fighting for her life and he is hoping to see realistic changes to allow him and his family to stay together in Queensland.

Chemotherapy

Brad said he’s never going to give up trying to see his little girl, but he is worried about how she has been reacting to the chemotherapy treatment. 

“When Charlotte got too sick, she had to stop receiving chemotherapy and that has pushed us back a lot further,” he said. “We are only half way through her second cycle and at this rate she will be there with her mum until after Christmas.

“She’s trying to sit up now. I haven’t heard her voice for nearly a week – she was so sick and sedated.”

Brad said Charlotte’s leukemia was diagnosed in January, but not until after she had been admitted to Lismore Base Hospital twice with swollen adenoids, which were at first thought to be tonsillitis and treated with steroids. Finally, after not getting better, Charlotte was diagnosed with leukemia.

Brad remembers the day pediatrician Dr Chris Ingalls told him had an advanced aggressive cancer and he had to break the horrible news to his partner. 

Prayers

“We are just taking it week by week, but lately it’s been hour by hour. I haven’t been getting much sleep and I’ve never prayed before, but I pray now.”

“I’ve had to watch her lose her hair,” he said. She was a wild child who would fall on the driveway and get up and laugh. We call her our warrior princess. I think that prepared her for all this.

Oncology ward

“I know about cancer now because I have to visit the oncology ward in the hospital and see the young kids in there who have no idea what they are going through.

“I’m a stern person but it got to me. My daughter is fighting for her life and every day in her ward, there is a nurse in the room with Charlotte and Melissa. She is in God’s hands now.

 “I hope we can be together in the unit near the hospital soon.”

MP Hogan responds

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said he was continually working with the all levels of government on a solution to Brad’s situation.

“This shows the complete absurdity of the border bubble lockdown, with no Covid cases in our region” he said. 

“We are taking three different avenues to get changes made – applying to the Prime Minister’s office, working with Queensland Premier Palaszczuk, Brad Hazzard the NSW Health Minister and the cross-border commission. 

Shame them

“We are trying to shame them into giving him exemption.

“Last week, the Prime Minister tried to get the States to agree to a national position and agree over what a hotspot is. Queensland’s stance is political in motivation ahead of a State election.

“We all understand the Melbourne and Victorian restrictions with hundreds of new cases there every day, but in Queensland there’s no medical reason.”