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A 75-year-old South African woman has vowed to fight deportation "at all costs" so she can be with her New Zealand resident son who has cancer.
Overstayer Yvonne Brown says she will be appealing to Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman - as one parent to another - to let her stay on humanitarian grounds.
Mrs Brown said she came to New Zealand so that she could be with her son Keith, 49, who had been diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma in the nose, head and neck region.
She has another son, Adrian, 43, and five grandchildren aged between 12 and 20, all in New Zealand.
"I hope the minister will have a heart, and not break up our family, and I really don't want to be away from Keith," Mrs Brown said.
"Everyone and all the family I have are in New Zealand, and I have no one or nowhere to go to if I am sent back."
Mrs Brown, who came to New Zealand on a visitor's permit in 2006, said her other family members were either "dead or had moved out of South Africa".
"It is giving me sleepless nights worrying about what's going to happen if I get sent back to South Africa. I know none of my sons can come with me, and I really don't know how to cope alone."
Immigration New Zealand turned down her application for residency under the parent policy and said in August 2007 that her condition "does not meet acceptable standard of health for entry to New Zealand on the basis that she is likely to impose significant costs to New Zealand's health services".
Its medical assessor said Mrs Brown suffered from significant hip disease (arthritis) that required bilateral hip replacements at an approximate cost of $20,000 for each hip plus $5000 for physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
She now needs a walking frame or stick to help her move around.
Mrs Brown said an appeal was filed in October 2008 but was not accepted by immigration as it was submitted after the statutory 42-day period.
"We paid $700 to the agent, but all we know now is that my visitor permit has long expired and we have not been able to reach the agent."
Keith Brown, who has appointed another consultant to help with his mother's ministerial appeal, said their battle to keep her in New Zealand had taken a toll on his health, and the cancer had spread to his back and legs.
"It really does my health no favours, but for the sake of the family and my kids, we just have to continue this fight," said Mr Brown, of Glenfield.
His brother, Adrian, an insurance assessor, also insisted that their mother would not be an ongoing burden to the health services because hip replacements would be a one-off.
"It's not as if it needs to be replaced every year."
Besides a ministerial appeal, the Browns said they would also seek support from local MPs.
