Gold Coast father Gijil Jose’s struggle with wife, three children trapped in India due to COVID-19 border closure
What was meant to be a short family visit has turned into a nine-month-long nightmare for a Gold Coast family, leaving two children having nightmares and a third unable to recognise his father.
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A GOLD Coast father is desperately trying to bring his wife and three young children home from India – nine months after he kissed them goodbye for a family visit.
Now Gijil Jose says his youngest child – who will turn one on Thursday – doesn’t know who he is and his older son and daughter wake up crying “scared Mummy will leave them in India too”.
A registered nurse at Tweed Hospital, Mr Jose had planned to fly to India at Easter and meet his wife Mehamol Mani, who is also a nurse, then fly home with Charles, 4, Zaina, 2, and Royce, 11 months.
However he was unable to fly out to join them after the COVID-19 pandemic caused borders to be closed.
Mr Jose said his family had to wait even longer in India as airline policy forbid Mehamol from flying with two infants – forcing them to wait until Zaina turned two in July.
“(When Zaina turned two) the Australian embassy said there are some Air India flights coming to Australia,” he said.
“But every time they announce a flight the tickets are sold out in five minutes, so she can’t get a flight back.
“Then we realised she would have to come to Melbourne or Sydney, do 14 days of quarantine in a hotel room with three little kids under five years old.
“Then there’s another quarantine in another hotel room when she comes to Queensland. I don’t know how she’s going to do that.”
Mehamol, a registered nurse at Gold Coast University Hospital, and the three children are staying with Mr Jose’s parents.
Mr Jose is now the sole provider for the family and sends money to pay for nappies and medicine, both of which are in short supply.
He said the heartbreaking situation was taking a severe toll on his children’s mental health.
“It’s (Royce’s) first birthday this week, he was crawling, he was standing up, but now he doesn’t know me,” he said.
“I’m his dad, but he doesn’t know me.
“The other two are having dreams in the night and waking up crying, thinking Mummy is going to leave them in India and fly back to dad.”
He’s now pleading with the Federal Government for help, as well as looking for a Queensland Health exemption which would allow the family to quarantine at their Nerang home.
“If there’s any chance, we’re seeking help because we don’t know what to do,” he said.
“My wife is losing her mind, I’m losing my mind. I’ve been living by myself in a three-bedroom home since January.
“There’s no help for us. There’s no way she can come back to our home.”
The Bulletin contacted Moncrieff Federal MP Angie Bell, who said the pandemic had created “a lot of difficulties” for families.
“Gijil being separated from his young family is particularly difficult,” she said.
“Now that we are aware of his case, we will do what we can to assist.
“My office has contacted Gijil and will work with him to find the best way to assist his family with their complicated circumstances, as we have done for other families.”
Queensland Health said they were unable to comment on individual cases.
Border restrictions may allow for a person to fly into a hotspot and fly into Queensland to quarantine once if they don’t leave the hotspot’s airport.
A person may also be allowed to quarantine once in a hotspot and then enter Queensland without needing to quarantine again.
brianna.morris-grant@news.com.au
Originally published as Gold Coast father Gijil Jose’s struggle with wife, three children trapped in India due to COVID-19 border closure