New city chiro’s ‘miraculous’ journey from South Africa during COVID

It took more than two years for the city’s newest chiropractor to move from violent South Africa to Toowoomba. Here’s how she survived overseas travel and hotel quarantine with a baby in tow.

Associate chiropractor Lana Panagis’s journey from violent Johannesburg to Toowoomba has been one marred by intense visa application processes, examinations, and to top it all off, a global pandemic and two weeks of hotel quarantine.

But it has been worth it.

Dr Panagis began the process of moving over to Toowoomba in 2018 after she received a call from the managers and owners of Pellow Family Chiropractic in Middle Ridge.

“A patient of mine, who was Justin Pellow’s dad, said Justin was looking for an associate, would you be interested?,” she said.

“We had chatted in the past about moving overseas.”

Six weeks later, Dr Panagis made a trip to Brisbane to meet the Pellows, and it was decided – they would move to Toowoomba.

Lana Panagis has moved with her young family to Toowoomba from South Africa to continue her practice as an associate at Pellow Family Chiropractic. Picture: Kevin Farmer

With a very young daughter born in 2018, life in South Africa was not what they envisioned long-term.

Dr Panagis said her husband was held at gunpoint four times, twice while in traffic, and growing tensions and violence meant they were in dire need of an alternate option.

The family applied for visas in October 2019, shortly before the world descended into chaos with the global pandemic.

Over a year later, in November 2020, their visas were approved and they began the move to Toowoomba.

Lana Panagis and Shaun Sewry with their daughter Zoe Sewry love the freedom of Toowoomba after recently leaving Johannesburg to live in Australia. Picture: Kevin Farmer

But first came hotel quarantine in Brisbane.

Dr Panagis said the three of them stayed in a one-bedroom unit with a kitchenette, television, no balcony or fresh air, and only 20 centimetres of sunshine.

Coming out of quarantine was, quite literally, a breath of fresh air for the family, and so continued their trip to Toowoomba, arriving on January 9.

Dr Panagis has now taken up her role as associate chiropractor at Pellow Family Chiropractic.

“It’s so lovely to feel like I’m not a foreigner,” she said.

“I think the patients have known that I’m coming so I’ve been welcomed.”

More than anything, the family feels safe and secure.

Little things like the ability for Dr Panagis to take her daughter to the park without looking over her shoulder for danger will not be taken for granted quickly.

Lana Panagis and Shaun Sewry with their daughter Zoe Sewry love the freedom of Toowoomba after recently leaving Johannesburg to live in Australia. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“It’s still in our brains, and I think it’ll be there for a while, to just be street smart,” she said.

“Because we come from a violent country.

“Driving with our windows open is great, being able to stop at a red light and not having to check whether there’s no one approaching our car is awesome.

“That’s abnormal story for a South African.

“We’re very lucky and very blessed that we have this opportunity to not feel hyper-vigilant and hyper-stressed.

“We’re definitely happy to call Toowoomba home.”

Lana Panagis and Shaun Sewry with their daughter Zoe Sewry love the freedom of Toowoomba after recently leaving Johannesburg to live in Australia. Picture: Kevin Farmer