Gold Coast father Otto Vidmajer, who was denied six requests for home quarantine, dies surrounded by family
A Gold Coast father and husband of 46 years denied six requests for home quarantine has died surrounded by his family. READ HIS SON’S MOVING TRIBUTE
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DEVOTED Gold Coast father of two and husband of 46 years Otto Vidmajer has passed away “peacefully surrounded by family” in the early hours of Friday morning.
Mr Vidmajer had terminal cancer and was denied home quarantine by health authorities after returning from treatment in Italy, robbing his family of two precious week of his life.
His son Aaron Vidmajer posted an announcement saying: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we have to announce the passing of an absolute legend, Otto Vidmajer”.
“He passed at 5:40am peacefully, surrounded by family.
“To say how devastated we are is an understatement. He touched the hearts of many and was loved by all.
“You will forever be in our hearts and the memories made will live with us forever.
“RIP until we meet again.”
Tributes for the 67-year-old Gold Coaster, known for his zest for life, have been pouring in from friends and family who have spoken of him as “one-of-a-kind” and “an absolute legend”.
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A DYING Gold Coast father with terminal cancer and days to live has been forced to endure two weeks of hotel quarantine despite his family’s desperate pleas to let him be at home.
Otto Vidmajer, 67 – diagnosed with aggressive stomach cancer in May – had his six official requests to be at home with loved ones knocked back by Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young. He was COVID-19 negative on return into Australia.
“What if your father had just weeks to live, would you let this happen to your own family,” said daughter Nicki Amos, of Molendinar.
“Every person should be able to have their dying wish to spend as much time with their family as they can.
“My dad is just days away from dying and they have robbed us of his precious last weeks.”
After doctors discovered a 38cm tumour in May, further scans revealed the disease had spread and he flew to Rome in June for special treatment that helped a friend eliminate esophageal cancer.
His wife of 46 years, Monika, had to wait three weeks to join him and when she arrived she found her husband had deteriorated dramatically and it was decided they should fly home soon after.
Already frail and just 58kg, Mr Vidmajer was knocked back at the airport by an airline blaming caps on returned citizens and Mrs Amos and her brother Aaron Vidmajer set about fundraising to get their parents home business class.
After they were successful they wrote submissions to Dr Young, with supporting medical advice, asking if their father could self-quarantine at home but the pleas were rejected six times.
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“We kept getting the same generic letter back over and over again with only one sentence changed. It’s like it was just cut and paste. I couldn’t believe it, it was very impersonal,” she said.
“Dad was so desperate he even penned her a letter begging to spend his dying days with us.
“He was immunocompromised and would have been safer at home with us instead of at dodgy hotel where people could have the virus.”
But it fell on deaf ears and Mr Vidmajer and his wife we quarantined in a hotel in Brisbane. A few days into the stay he had to be rushed to hospital after developing two massive clots, but after he recovered he was sent back to the hotel to carry out his 14 days.
“When they took him to hospital he was placed in a COVID ward rather than an oncology ward, and every day he had to endure COVID tests,” said she, through tears, adding: “Can you imagine”.
“He felt like a leper because they always wore full hazmat suits like he actually had it.”
Mrs Amos said her father was released at the start of September and had been surrounded by family and friends ever since.
He’s currently in hospital, after being overcome with pain and in liver failure, yet the father and grandfather is determined to get home next week to spend his final days surrounded by loved ones as is tradition in Slovenia, where he was born.
“What they did by making him quarantine in a hotel was just inhumane. This virus isn’t going away, we have to learn to live with it like we do with other flu viruses,” she said.
“So many people are suffering emotionally and mentally and all the government cares about is eliminating it.”
It’s understood that on the day Mr Vidmajer arrived in Australia from Italy, the country had 1071 COVID-19 cases, more than Queensland has had during the entire pandemic.
A Queensland Health spokesperson said: “We understand the health directions in place are strict, but they are designed to protect Queenslanders from COVID-19”.
“We absolutely understand and sympathise that this is a very difficult time to navigate. Hotel quarantine is a safe, supervised environment that also protects the wider community from harm. The State Government has made health and support services available at each hotel for those in quarantine.”
In Queensland arrangements can be granted for carers or family members to enter quarantine with returned travellers.
Originally published as Gold Coast father Otto Vidmajer, who was denied six requests for home quarantine, dies surrounded by family