MIQ Last Minute Pardon Allows Kiwi Family To Spend Time With Their Sick Daughter In Melbourne

The Kiwi family of a 12-year-old girl undergoing treatment for leukemia in Melbourne received approval of her request to change her stay in managed isolation at the last minute.

The emergency assignment decision means Kate Diprose’s father Marc, her 14-year-old brother Fletcher and her 11-year-old sister Jessie, who were due to fly tomorrow, can stay a couple more weeks by her side after they his health began to deteriorate recently.

Kate has been at Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne since September with her mother Jackie as she underwent specialized T-cell therapy after she relapsed for the fifth time with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

He has been battling cancer since he was just 3 years old.

She and her mother flew in from their home in Matamata for treatment in September, and the rest of the family joined them on December 18 for Christmas, after getting emergency assignments at an isolation facility run since the December 30.

However, Kate’s health began to deteriorate recently and she was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

The family requested an extension of their MIQ application for Marc, Fletcher and Jessie, so they could stay a few more weeks until she stabilized.

However, this was rejected. How was your application to isolate yourself at home.

Speaking to the Herald on Tuesday morning, Jackie said they only hoped to extend their stay until Kate’s condition had improved.

“What worries us most is that they won’t be able to come out of isolation in those two weeks, if something happens.

Following inquiries from the Herald today, and the MIQ spokesperson said they discovered an error in the application process and have since reversed the decision.

“We are very sympathetic to the situation facing this family during this global pandemic,” the spokesman said.

The family originally received an emergency allowance on December 15 to be quarantined in a New Zealand-run isolation facility on December 30.

“At the time, this emergency assignment request did not meet any of the categories, but was approved in extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of a senior MBIE approver,” the spokesperson said.

However, when the family submitted a new request for an emergency assignment, the person who evaluated this second request was unaware that the case had been previously approved under the criteria of extraordinary circumstances.

“Without this crucial information included, he did not meet the emergency assignment criteria and the application was rejected,” the spokesman said.

“In reviewing this case, this emergency assignment has been approved under extraordinary circumstances and the family has been notified.

“On behalf of MBIE, we wish the family the best and we apologize for any additional stress incurred as part of this process.

“We have requested a review of the case to minimize the possibility of this happening again.”

Speaking earlier in the day, Jackie said the family was grateful to be in Australia for the specialty therapy in the first place, funded through the Ministry of Health.

But having family there right now was making a big difference.

“It’s wonderful to be here, and we are so thankful, especially to be able to come in a pandemic. We just want to thank everyone for their support.”