A NSW couple’s family, mourning their unborn child’s death, have spoken out about the tragedy saying they ‘re “deeply upset” but blame nobody.
Although Ballina couple Kimberley and Scott Brown were waiting for twins, they said it would take too long to get an exemption for emergency surgery in Queensland if needed.
As a result, the family never applied for an exemption from a nearby border town to reach the state and Ms Brown was forced to travel to Sydney with a 16-hour wait before she could have had surgery.
A NSW family is mourning the loss of an unborn twin after border barriers with Queensland delayed urgent treatment. The Ballina couple waited 16 hours for an emergency flight to Sydney, unable to cross the border for medical care. https://t.co/UjlzCPPTF2 @ChrisReason7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/RIxk6ZhIAV
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) August 28, 2020
Kimberley’s father Alan Watt told Seven News the couple “don’t blame anyone for what happened, it’s just one of those things.”
“The family is deeply upset with these tragic events,” he said on Friday.
“We would like to make it clear we do not blame anyone for what has occurred, and all our energies are focused on nothing more than the health and wellbeing of my daughter and her unborn child.
“It’s just one of those things that’s happened.”
Watt asked for privacy for the family.
“We want to have to get on with our lives,” he said. “We thank you for your concern, but ask you to please respect our privacy.”
The case has sparked a debate over border closures and whether it should have been necessary for the couple to seek care at Queensland.