Mark Kilian writes open letter to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to see dying dad

Despite returning three negative Covid tests, a man stuck in Sydney has been refused entry to Queensland to see his dying dad.

A son desperate to see his dying father at a Gold Coast hospital has made a last-ditch attempt for the Queensland Government to let him enter the state, pleading with the Premier that he would wear a hazmat suit and tracking device.

Mark Kilian and his wife – who are both fully vaccinated against Covid-19 – flew from Los Angeles to Sydney on Tuesday, after receiving exemption to enter the country from the Department of Home Affairs and NSW health.

Despite national media coverage about Mr Kilian’s situation earlier this week, Queensland Health has refused an exemption to enter Queensland to visit his father, Frans, who is dying of pancreatic cancer at Robina Hospital.

Mr Kilian’s father Frans is now dying in Robina Hospital. Credit: Supplied

In an open letter to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to chief health officer Jeannette Young, Mr Kilian asked for the pair to “reconsider our case on the compassionate grounds that the privilege of being able to say goodbye to ones’ own father or son might outweigh the extremely low risk of 2 vaccinated people pose to the people of Queensland”.

“We are willing to do whatever it takes to avoid risk,” he wrote.

“We’ve offered to wear masks 24/7. We’ll wear hazmat suits and tracking devices if need be … we are still offering to fly on our previously booked charter flight to Coolangatta Airport.”

Mr Kilian wrote his most recent Covid test was on Thursday.

Mark Kilian and his wife Anneli are stuck in hotel quarantine in Sydney. Credit: Change.org

“That means we’ve had 3 (sic) negative Covid tests in the last 5 (sic) days.”

More than 22,000 people have signed a change.org petition calling on the state government to grant the exemption.

“Every single person of the many thousands we’ve heard from and interacted with over the last 4 (sic) days have identified emotionally with our compassionate claim, often with a good deal of passion,” he wrote.

Queensland Health said the decision to refuse the exemption was necessary to keep Queenslanders safe.

“Our sympathies are with the family, however these are clinical decisions that are necessary to keep Queenslanders safe,” a spokesperson said.

Originally published as Mark Kilian writes open letter to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to see dying dad