Queensland Government finally allows boy with cerebral palsy to quarantine at home

A six-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who had to travel to the US for brain surgery will finally be allowed to quarantine at home after multiple rejections.

A Queensland boy who has cerebral palsy has been allowed to return home after repeated applications to enter the state were knocked back.

Lenny Silveira, 6, from the Sunshine Coast, has been in hotel quarantine in Sydney with his father Fabio since returning to Australia last Friday.

The boy had to fly to the US for major brain surgery. It is hoped the operation will help improve his chances of being able to walk. The surgery is not currently available in Australia.

Lenny Silveira, 6, has now been allowed to quarantine at home after major brain surgery.

“We are feeling relieved that today probably [we can return home], weather permitting, because the weather is not great in the southeast Australia, but it is hoped that we will fly home today and be reunited with the family that is waiting for us,” Mr Silveira told the Today show.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the support that we got for the last 24 hours and hopefully that will somehow change the situation for other people as well.”

Mr Silveira said the family had given the government plenty of notice.

Fabio Silveira was relieved the Government had finally allowed them to quarantine at home. Picture: The Today Show

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been spruiking Queensland’s home quarantine trial. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

“It’s been super frustrating because we started the process for the exemption back at the end of July,” Mr Silveira said.

“So we gave them plenty of time to look into them, plenty of time to look into the papers, look into the documentations and make the right decision.”

He added: “I understand the seriousness of this situation, the Covid pandemic and the consequences of any exemption given, but we are talking about a six-year-old boy who needs extremely intensive rehabilitation.”

The exemptions were knocked back at the same time the Queensland government was spruiking its home quarantine trial.

The rejections also were at odds to their doctor’s advice which asked for Lenny to be at home – not in hotel quarantine – while he recovers.