Ashleigh Hale’s (nee Simrajh) dad Tony Simrajh sent money to Gold Coast veteran Ryan Hodson who has been stuck in Philippines
An incredible act of kindness from a grieving father has plucked a Coast PTSD sufferer from the depths of darkness. READ WHAT HE DID!
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SPENDING Christmas Day holed up in hotel quarantine doesn’t phase Gold Coast veteran Ryan Hodson — he’s just thrilled to leave the Philippines after being stranded there since March.
“I’ve got 10 days left. It’s hard to unlock any emotion just yet,” said the 37-year-old Broadbeach local.
“Just like the Army it’s not over ’til it’s over and I’m on that damn plane sinking a couple of beers.”
Battling infections, fevers and having to fight off deadly cobras while stuck in the third world country, Mr Hodson flies out from Manila on December 19 bound for Sydney, where he’ll quarantine for two weeks before making his way home.
“I’ll be turning up with nothing,” he said.
Mr Hodson said his visa, flights, food and other expenses had been generously paid for by Tony Simrajh, the father of the late Gold Coast melanoma campaigner Ashleigh Hale (nee Simrajh).
The pair have never met but Mr Simrajh contacted the veteran after reading about Mr Hodson’s plight and deteriorating mental health in the Bulletin in October.
“Basically, when I asked him this time around if he could help with a visa he just asked flatly ‘how much’,” said Mr Hodson.
“The money was there within 30 minutes, for food and my visa. It’s just the way he does it, like I feel like I’ve known him for a lifetime.
“Tony’s a friend for life and if he ever needs anything in the future I’ll be there for him. I’ll always say yes. I look forward to meeting in person when I’m back.”
Earlier, October 16
A GOLD Coaster veteran surviving on snakes in the Philippines can see “light at the end of the tunnel” thanks to the generosity of Tony Simrajh, father of Gold Coast melanoma campaigner Ashleigh Hale (nee Simrajh).
Broadbeach man Ryan Hodson, stranded overseas since March after having two flights cancelled because of caps on arrivals into Australia, was starving, broke and frequently fighting off deadly cobras to survive.
Battling post-traumatic stress disorder, Mr Hodson was close to giving up.
But after seeing Mr Hodson’s plight in the Bulletin, Mr Simrajh contacted the 37-year-old and sent him some money.
“He (Tony) is a great guy. He contacted me after seeing the story,” Mr Hodson said.
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“Tony helped me with funds to get canned food and rice and it means I had money to get into town and organise a replacement, limited validity passport.
“His help also meant I could also use proper internet for printing forms and scanning identification.
“I also hired an lawyer for proof of true copies and it all got sent on Thursday, express post to the Australian embassy in Manila. I’m expecting a three week processing time.”
Mr Hodson said the next step was whether he gets deported or waits for the “flight lottery”.
“The main thing is I have hope again. A light at the end of the tunnel. Thank God for Tony,” he said.
“It brings me to the brink of tears every time I think of it. I want to thank him so much for caring and I hope we get to meet up one day when I’m back on the Gold Coast.”
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Mr Hodson said while he now had renewed vigour, he and other Australians stuck overseas were in a permanent state of “shock, disbelief, rage, sadness and hopelessness” at the government’s inability to get citizens home.
A National Cabinet meeting scheduled for Friday was postponed following technical issues with flying Prime Minister Scott Morrison out of Cairns, he’s been in Queensland ahead of the state’s election on October 31.
It would have been the first National Cabinet meeting in a month and getting Aussies home was expected to be at the top of the agenda. The meeting will now take place next week.
However, Mr Morrison did on Friday afternoon announce an agreement with the Northern Territory that would see 5000 ‘vulnerable Australians’ arrive into the territory between now and March. Qantas flights will bring the citizens home from the United Kingdom, India and South Africa.
He said it was also “good news” that as of September 18, one-quarter of the 4000 Australians who the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade identified as vulnerable had returned home.
An estimated 30,000 Australians are thought to be stranded overseas, all waiting to get flights home that keep getting cancelled by airlines because of caps on arrivals into Australia at a state level.
Mr Hodson said he'd been deeply moved by the generosity of strangers, “fellow Aussies that have bothered to care about me”
“If the leaders of Australia showed a dash of this mentality towards stranded and abandoned Australians it would be a proud and worthy memory to uphold for future generations to come,” he said.
“It seems the issue will have to be pushed and shoved grudgingly to get us poor wounded souls back to our homeland.”
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