Darren Budini denied exemption by Queensland Health to attend his mothers funeral, drives family back to Port Macquarie
A devastated son who has “tried everything” to attend his mother's funeral has left the border. READ THE FAMILY’S SCATHING PARTING WORDS
Gold Coast
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A DEVASTATED son who “tried everything” to make it to his mother’s funeral in Mt Cotton has reluctantly left the Queensland-NSW border to return to his Port Macquarie home.
“We’re in the car about to head south, we’ve had no contact from the Health Department,” said Nicole Marchment, Darren Budini’s wife.
“We are out of options and forced to drive seven hours home, all thanks to the permit bungle on the government website and subsequent incompetence.”
“We tried everything and it wasn’t enough. There’s zero common sense or compassion left in the state of Queensland … sorry to the other countless families struggling with the same loss of their loved ones, we’re proof that all the evidence in the world, wouldn’t have helped you.
“Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support. We needed to hear all your kind words to keep pushing.”
“How can famous actors, politicians and sports stars get an exemption, but a COVID-free citizen trying to attend his mother’s funeral is denied or given unrealistic “exemption” options?
“Disgraceful QLD Premier, disgraceful.”
EARLIER …
A GRIEVING son stuck in limbo at the Qld/NSW border hopes a negative COVID-19 test will help sway health authorities to allow him to attend his mother’s funeral in Mt Cotton.
On Tuesday, Darren Budini and his family were given permission to enter the state by Queensland Health if they must quarantine for 14 days in a government hotel at their expense.
But they won’t be able to attend the funeral, only the funeral home for a private viewing during the quarantine period and so long as they immediately return to the hotel.
“If we have proof we are COVID free, will they arrest us and fine us $10,000 for crossing the border to attend a funeral even though we have evidence that we pose no risk to the community,” said Darren’s wife Nicole Marchment.
“We simply cannot understand why we have not been offered COVID tests. The tests can have less than a 24-hour turnaround time and prove a person isn’t a risk to the community.
“Why isn’t this offered as a solution for compassionate cases such as funerals for immediate family?
“We have taken the initiative to get this test done and hope the government will reconsider their policy to include this option for families with urgent health issues or a death.
“We’ve asked politicians for an answer on this and it falls on deaf ears, why?”
WEDNESDAY …
QUEENSLAND Health will only allow a grieving family who want into the state for a loved one’s funeral a short break from two-weeks quarantine to visit the funeral home for a private viewing.
Authorities are allowing Darren Budini to enter the state on condition they complete 14 days of quarantine in government-arranged accommodation at their expense prior to the funeral.
But they have stopped short of allowing Mr Budini to attend the funeral of his mother Cheryl, who died at Thornlands on Sunday. They are approving a visit to the funeral home for a private viewing during the quarantine period and so long as he immediately returns to the hotel.
Mr Budini’s wife Nicole Marchment blasted the decision as “horrendous” questioning how their family would pay for the $3400 for each of their four family members, including two toddlers, one of whom has autism and doesn’t like confined spaces.
“Just this afternoon doctors confirmed Darren does have a potentially life-threatening blood clot we have to keep an eye on, so he can’t just quarantine alone in a hotel, it’s not safe,” she said.
“It’s not possible and it’s not reasonable for us to quarantine for 14 days. The system is broken in Queensland, it’s tearing families apart. Where we are from in Port Macquarie (NSW Mid-North Coast) we haven’t had a case of COVID for nearly 200 days.
“We need an exemption from hotel quarantine.”
“And why hasn’t one person discussed or requested that we have a COVID-19 test and then wait until we get the all-clear before allowing is in to the state to attend the funeral and comfort Darren’s sister.
“My husband is crushed and says we have to go home, but I don’t know what to do, I’m just devastated.”
A Queensland Health spokesman said: “Our border restrictions and quarantine requirements are only in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
“We understand this can be difficult for many, but it is necessary to save lives.”
It comes as Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says she will ask Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young to “have a good hard look” at the border exemptions process if she is elected on October 31.
She’s called on the government to be compassionate when granting border exemptions for people crossing into Queensland from coronavirus hot spots in NSW and Victoria.
It comes after revelations that former Jetstar boss Jayne Hrdlicka was granted an exemption to quarantine at home on September 26, as her husband underwent a course of chemotherapy.
The case was in stark contrast with elderly terminal brain cancer patient Gary Ralph, from Logan, who was forced into hotel quarantine after major surgery in Sydney – despite Mr Ralph also needing chemotherapy.
“What we need to have in relation to the exemptions around the confusion and chaos that is on the borders is we need compassion, we need consistency in decision-making and we need some common sense,” Ms Frecklington said.
EARLIER …
QUEENSLAND’s militant border stance has ensnared a NSW man grieving the shock death of his mother, with his wife revealing he’s all but given up hope that health authorities will allow him to attend her funeral.
Darren Budini’s mother Cheryl died at Thornlands on Sunday, and after filling out paperwork for a permit to enter Queensland on compassionate grounds the day after, Mr Budini and wife Nicole Marchment bundled their two children into the car and left their Port Macquarie home.
But after a seven-hour journey, in which the family had to stop every two hours because Mr Budini has a disorder that results in life-threatening blood clots, they were refused
entry at the border on Monday night.
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“We were told by police we had the incorrect permit and to go to the next checkpoint and they would inform us what to do,” Ms Marchment said. “But when we got there officers couldn’t really tell us exactly what to do next. One gave us the wrong phone number for Queensland Health.
“It’s just lunacy. Why aren’t those on the frontline receiving people, who are often travelling under high-stress and emotional situations, able to give us clear direction on what to do next?
“We’re good people, my husband is a carer in the aged and disability sector, we would never knowingly put anyone else in harm.”
With two inconsolable toddlers in the car, one with autism, the couple pulled over a few metres down the road and filled out another form for an exemption on compassionate grounds and sent it to Queensland Health (QH). The family still hasn’t received an official response in regards to this request.
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Speaking to the Bulletin from a Tweed Heads camping ground, Ms Marchment said “in a terrifying twist” she had to rush her husband to hospital late Monday night because he developed a blood clot. But staff were unable to perform an ultrasound at that time to identify the severity of the clot and he had to return Tuesday afternoon.
“He has been administered a clot injection on top of his daily medication and needs to return. But his father died from blood clots and now his life is put at risk from just trying to get to his mother’s funeral. How can this be OK?” she said.
“The system is broken in Australia. Where’s the humanity?
“All I want is for my husband to be able to join his sister to grieve their mother, they only have each other now.
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“We had a pass on what we thought was compassionate grounds. It was issued by a system that is obviously confusing, outdated and offering up conflicting information. Protocols are as clear as mud, especially when you’re in crisis mode.”
Ms Marchment said she was only contacted by QH after she wrote a post on social media about her plight, but that the person didn’t “sound very positive” that they would be allowed to enter Queensland because they weren’t within the travel bubble.
“It’s hard because they need a date for the funeral and we haven’t got one because the coroner has not released her body yet,” she said.
The young mother, who said there hadn't been a case of COVID in NSW’s Mid-North Coast for nearly 200 days, was also criticised on social media for not understanding the system, some accusing her of not doing her due diligence.
“Do you think I packed my autistic child in the car for a seven-hour trip, my husband with a blood disorder and deliberately gallivanted across the country to be turned around at the border and miss his mother’s funeral?” she said.
“I thought I had done the right thing, at no stage did we try to enter the border illegally.
“Where’s the clear protocol for people coming from outside Queensland and who are totally unfamiliar with current changes? We relied on the government website for information and it failed us.”
A Queensland Police Service spokesman said throughout the pandemic it had adopted an approach of compassion, communication and compliance at the border to ensure it helps to keep COVID-19 out of Queensland.
“Police at the border continually educate those entering Queensland and where people have made minor errors on their border pass, officers will assist them to ensure they fill out a correct pass and can enter the state,” he said.
“While New South Wales and Victoria remain declared COVID-19 hot spots, residents within the declared NSW border zone who have not been in a hotspot within 14 days do not have to quarantine.
“Anyone who needs to enter Queensland from a hotspot for compassionate grounds must ensure they have the appropriate exemption from Queensland Health prior to travelling to the border.”
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