Irish family living in New Zealand forced to leave due to daughter’s disability – Irish Mirror

An Irish family living in New Zealand are being forced to leave because their daughter has been refused residency.

Ruby OConnor, who lives in Christchurch with her parents Kerry Hayes and Bryan OConnor and baby brother Leon, has a rare genetic disorder called TBCK.

There are less than 70 known cases worldwide, and four-year-old Ruby is the only child in New Zealand living with the neurological condition.

Her heartbroken parents have been left disgusted with New Zealand authorities who they say are turfing them out of the place theyve made home.

Kerry, 34, told the Irish Sunday Mirror: This battle over residency is going on four years, since she was born.

We are nothing to the immigration authorities, just a number. Shes just not wanted even though she was born here.

Weve paid thousands of dollars in tax every year even our taxes would cover [the cost of] her healthcare, but they dont see that.

Kerry, Bryan and baby Leon have been told they can stay in New Zealand but Ruby cannot because of her disability and the cost of her medical needs.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said individual stories were hard but she added: We have a universal public health system.

Once you are here on long-term visas you receive that free care, so we need to make sure can continue to provide that free care, well, to everyone.

Kerry and Bryan emigrated in 2013 and have put down roots, living next door to another Irish couple whose youngest child was born around the same time as Leon.

Beauty therapist Kerry said: People are shocked because Bryan came here for the rebuild after the earthquake when the city was in need.

We put in hard years rebuilding Christchurch when a lot of New Zealanders were upping sticks and going to Australia.

We could have been somewhere else in the world especially when we were young, in our 20s, we could have gone anywhere.

But we did it anyway and settled here and its like you just get a slap in the face for it.

Life-limiting TBCK causes intellectual disability, epilepsy and developmental delay, and Ruby needs round-the-clock care.

Serious bouts of pneumonia left her fighting for her life in ICU. But shes described as a little girl with an infectious laugh.

Kerry said: She is such a beautiful natured child. She never complains and is always laughing.

A GoFundMe to help with providing Rubys specialist medical equipment here in Ireland has so far raised EUR42,000.

The family are now isolating before they board an Emirates flight to Dubai on Tuesday and then a Quantas flight to Dublin.

Kerry said: Weve moved out of the house to isolate in an Air BnB and its sad, because we cant say goodbye to any of our friends.

The flight is going to be stressful, if Ruby gets Covid shell end up in ICU, but we really cant wait to just leave now.

Im really keen to get my feet standing on Irish soil, I feel like well relax when we get back home.

Once home the family will move in with Bryans parents in Kerry because they havent been able to secure a rental property.

They also face the challenge of getting Ruby registered for healthcare in Ireland as she was not born here and has no PPS number.

Kerry said: Weve packed away our life here. We gave away all our stuff for free.

I feel like weve closed the door to New Zealand. I couldnt imagine ever coming back.

I dont think Id want Leon growing up in a place that turned its back on his sister because she has a disability.

Shes still a human being. If she had no disability shed have had residency as soon as she was born.

Its like theyre Nazis, they just want to push anybody that is different out.

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Irish family living in New Zealand forced to leave due to daughter's disability - Irish Mirror