Gold Coast couple leave their babies in care of grandparents to fight coronavirus pandemic

A Gold Coast couple are making an incredible sacrifice to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

A GOLD Coast medic couple have made the ultimate sacrifice to help fight the coronavirus pandemic – they’re leaving their babies in the care of their grandparents until the crisis is over.

Kate Carmody, an emergency department nurse, and husband Joel, an Arundel general practitioner, have swapped lives with Mrs Carmody’s Brisbane-based parents.

“Of course I’m scared and I have been in tears spending the last few days with our babies, and packing for an unknown end date,” she said.

Kate Carmody says goodbye to her children Olive and Abel and leaves them in hands of her parents Neil Thorogood and Ruth Lund as she moves to Brisbane to join her husband in the fight against the coronavirus. Picture Glenn Hampson

>> SEND YOUR MESSAGE OF THANKS TO GOLD COAST’S EVERYDAY HEROES

“But how could we not step up and offer our much-needed and specialised skills.

“I know this sacrifice will add value to the bigger picture. I hope one day it will set an example for our babies about being good humans.

“My workplace is also my family and I will not let them bear the brunt of this mental and physical load alone.”

Mrs Carmody cut her maternity leave short to re-join her emergency department team at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, while Mr Carmody is heading a special coronavirus screening and triage clinic in north Brisbane.

Kate Carmody’s parents Neil Thorogood and Ruth Lund will care for their daughters two children while she joins her husband in the fight against COVID-19. Picture Glenn Hampson

MORE NEWS

Neighbours’ incredible gesture for man’s 90th birthday

Queensland cars vandalised in northern NSW

Incredible drone footage of eerily quiet Coast

Speaking to the Bulletin before she kissed five-month daughter Olive and 16-month son Abel goodbye for the last time in possibly six months, Mrs Carmody said she was sadly prepared to miss a few milestones.

“We’re in unknown territory at the moment and don’t know what the end picture is, but because of their age it won’t affect them terribly and my parents will enjoy time with them,” she said.

“Thanks to the luxury of technology we’ll be able to chat with them and stay in contact every day. I think it’ll be harder on us than them.”

Kylie Carmody with her children Olive and Abel, who she is leaving with parents Neil Thorogood and Ruth Lund as she moves to Brisbane to join her husband in the fight against COVID-19. Picture Glenn Hampson

While the pair fight to control the pandemic, people have already offered to deliver meals and another has said they’ll get them some Glen 20 so they can spray their shoes clean before coming back into the Bulimba community.

“My husband and I are health care workers, it’s in our blood, we’ve always wanted to help. But we don’t see ourselves as heroes, every one is making sacrifices at the moment.”

Mrs Carmody said her parents were in good health and her parents and children had self-isolated for 14 days before doing the handover.

“Our whole family is supporting our decision because they know it’s in the best interests of everyone involved,” she said.

“And since having kids I feel like I’ve grown an extra limb so my resilience and time management skills will help me as I return to the workforce.

“This is our sacrifice but so many others are also so not seeing their families or have lost their jobs, we’re all making tough choices right now.”