Andrew Speir is dying, and his Aunt Moyra is desperate to be with him. Photo / Supplied
Andrew Speir is dying, and his Aunt Moyra is desperate to be with him. Photo / Supplied
The aunt of an Auckland man dying of bowel cancer will "jump through any hoop" to be with him in his final days – but the Government won't let her out of Palmerston North.
Moyra Speir's nephew Andrew Speir is 36, and in palliative care in his Auckland home after all his medication for his metastatic bowel cancer was stopped.
Andrew is being cared for by his elderly parents, but desperately wants to be reunited with his aunt before he dies.
Moyra lives alone in Palmerston North, is fully vaccinated and has been getting a Covid test every five days since she found out Andrew was being put into palliative care. She lives out of a packed suitcase so that if her exemption is granted, she can drop everything and go be with her family.
Auckland is currently in Covid-19 alert level 3 as the Delta variant continues to spread. The Wellington region is in level 2, with no recorded Covid cases in the region since September 3.
She's been pleading with the Ministry of Health for an exemption since mid-August, when Andrew's treatment was stopped, but has had no luck.
Once her second exemption was rejected, the ministry told her it would no longer consider any further applications.
"I got the first reply saying travel is not deemed to be essential at this time, and you can a apply one more time which I did immediately and then tried again and they said basically you've already had two go's you don't get another one."
She says because she's Andrew's aunt, she's not considered direct family – something she disagrees with.
"I've known Andrew since before he was born, he's my only nephew... I don't have kids of my own, I'm not married, I don't have any family here – they're my family."
Upon being rejected for an exemption, Moyra contacted National deputy leader Dr Shane Reti, hoping he could push the Government to consider her case again.
Reti told the Herald her family's situation is "not fair".
"She's going from low risk to high risk for goodness's sake – his parents are elderly and they need assistance and [Moyra] is quite capable – she'll do anything, she'll jump through any hoop."
Together they've appealed to the Ombudsman - but time is running out.
(Left to right) Andrew's sister Anna, his aunt Moyra, and Andrew. Photo / Supplied
"To think about not being able to see him ever again is unbearable," Moyra told the Herald.
"I don't go to that place; I don't go to tomorrow I stick my thoughts to today. And I have hope I can go there in time so we can have that time together."
That hope is what's carrying her through the pain of being separated - she's got a bag fully packed and ready to go, so if her exemption is granted, she can leave right away.
"I can compartmentalise thank goodness because if I couldn't it would be awful. I refuse to give up and say it's all over. The gate's ajar and the starting pistol is loaded- as soon as I get that go-ahead, I can go."
Andrew told the Herald having his aunt with him in his final weeks would mean "everything" - but he doesn't have the same hope she does.
He says the system seems unfair.
"People are being allowed over borders for business meetings without any fuss. My whole family has been double vaxxed and there would be a negative test result [from Moyra] as well. We are following every precaution to keep me safe as well as everyone else so I can see my aunty for the last time."
Moyra says her experience of the system doesn't match the rhetoric New Zealand has followed throughout the pandemic.
"We talk about this kindness and love and all the rest of it but I don't actually see it when the rubber meets the road."
A Ministry of Health spokesperson told the Herald exemptions are only granted in exceptional circumstances, on a case-by-case basis and only when consistent with the wider public health response.
"Applications declined twice for the same travel purpose may not be submitted again."
The spokesperson said although someone traveling from a low-risk area, into the high-risk area of Auckland does not pose a risk themselves, they will be putting themselves at risk.
"Once they enter the Auckland region, they are currently at risk of being exposed to Covid-19, which could subsequently lead to further spread of the virus and/or the individual requiring managed isolation and/or hospital-level care. While the Covid-19 vaccine is highly effective – especially if people have both doses – our approach is to do everything we can to minimise the public health risk of Covid-19.
"For these reasons, as a general rule, we are taking a highly cautious and prudent approach to exemption requests."
Moyra says she understands the seriousness of Covid, and how important it is for everyone to play their part, but the repercussions on people's mental health will be wide-ranging.
"I understand the big picture, and that's very important, but the thing is that big picture is made up of individuals and families and they need to be listened to."
