Grieving veteran Donna Sheldrick finally back on Gold Coast after being left stranded in Victoria
A grieving veteran has finally been allowed to return to the Gold Coast, having been stranded in Victoria after losing both her mother and brother.
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
DONNA Sheldrick is finally breathing fresh Gold Coast air after returning home from months of isolation.
The grieving veteran was left stranded in Victoria after losing both her mother and brother.
Ms Sheldrick, who claims to suffer from mental health conditions that would have prevented her from being quarantined in a single hotel room, had been repeatedly refused an exemption to quarantine at her Gold Coast home.
Marooned on a property in rural Victoria for over two months, she said she was disappointed celebrities such as Dannii Minogue were allowed to escape the hotel confinement.
Sick of her situation she flew to Sydney in late July, but on arrival she was told she was not even allowed into NSW and was ordered to turn around.
“I couldn’t believe it. I broke down at this stage,” she said.
“I was so depressed I said I can’t go back there, it will be very harmful to my health.
“I said I will bite the bullet and go back to Queensland to quarantine instead.”
However, due to concerns about Ms Sheldrick’s mental wellbeing NSW Health allowed her to spend her 14 days quarantine in a Meriton suite in Sydney before catching a flight straight home.
“I was given the room I needed to be OK and was released on Friday to fly back home,” she said.
MORE QUARANTINE NEWS
Coast’s Belinda Gavin on hasty dash to beat border closure
Quarantine residents allowed to park on Surfers Paradise street and walk to hotel
Four busted in Gold Coast waters trying to sail home from NSW
“While I was there I was still very isolated but the space was picked for my needs — I realise how lucky I was.
“There was no way I could have done just a single hotel room.”
Despite gaining her exemptions, Ms Sheldrick said she was still annoyed with the Queensland process.
Member for Surfers Paradise John John-Paul Langbroek who was in contact with Ms Sheldrick during her ordeal said he was appreciative of the situations those in the health department are dealing with in “such a rapidly changing world.”
Originally published as Grieving veteran Donna Sheldrick finally back on Gold Coast after being left stranded in Victoria