Irish parents plead for help as deportation looms due to son’s cystic fibrosis

Irish parents of a three-year-old boy born in Australia with cystic fibrosis are in a race against time to have Immigration Minister David Coleman overrule their deportation.

Darragh Hyde, 3, and his parents, Christine and Anthony, have been denied permanent residency because of his cystic fibrosis.

A three-year-old boy born in Australia with cystic fibrosis is weeks from deportation after he was denied permanent residency because of the insidious disease.

Christine and Anthony Hyde are in a race against time to have new Immigration Minister David Coleman overrule the “heartbreaking” refusal.

The couple — an assistant principal and special needs schoolteacher, and SES volunteer from Seymour — applied for permanent residency in August 2015 weeks before their son Darragh was born and diagnosed with the life-threatening condition.

The application was knocked back because he was considered a “burden to the state”.

The family has exhausted all appeal options and, without government intervention, will be sent packing when their bridging visas expire on June 18.

Darragh, 3, and his parents, Christine and Anthony Hyde.

Ms Hyde, who moved to Australia from Dublin in 2009, told the Herald Sun it would “destroy” them.

“It feels so surreal to think that we could have to uproot our lives after 10 years,” she said.

“For Darragh, this is the only place he knows as home and he has never even been out of the country.”

Darragh initially failed to meet Australia’s strict health requirements because a medical officer declared he had a severe case of cystic fibrosis that could require a lung transplant.

While the diagnosis was later downgraded to mild, with a transplant unlikely, he was still considered a “burden” because he takes a drug, Kalydeco, only available to a limited number of sufferers.

It is subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme but would otherwise cost $300,000 a year.

Darragh Hyde has never left Australia.

Darragh has grown up in Seymour.

A string of state and federal politicians have joined a growing army of supporters, including Premier Daniel Andrews who urged the government to “show some compassion and common sense”.

“This family is effectively Aussie and they have contributed over the past 10 years — as an SES volunteer and a teacher in their Central Victorian community," he said.

“There will be some costs to medical treatment, but there will be so many more benefits to that local community.”

MORE: AFL CHAMP’S HEARTBREAK

TRIBUTES AFTER HORROR NIGHT ON ROADS

HOSTIE REPLIES TO ‘FAT-SHAMED’ PASSENGER

Federal McEwen MP Rob Mitchell said: “They have rules and regulations in place, which is fine, but they have clearly not taken into account the contribution of this family to the community.

“This family is not a burden on Australia, they are contributing in a positive was to their community.”

Darragh Hyde with his mum, Christine, on the Great Ocean Rd.

The Department of Home Affairs would not comment on the Hyde’s case but said most visas had a “migration health requirement”.

“It is an objective assessment to determine whether the care of the individual during their stay in Australia would likely result in significant costs to the Australian community or prejudice the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to services in short supply,” the department’s statement said.

Despite June’s looming deadline, Ms Hyde said the family remained “in a very hopeful state”.

“All these people who are backing us want us to stay and want us in their community.”

[e-mail]

@moniquehore