The heartbroken Irish parents of a young boy with cystic fibrosis have opened up on facing deportation from Australia.
Christine and Anthony Hyde moved across the world from Dublin ten years ago.
Their son Darragh, 3, was born in Oz and suffers from cystic fibrosis, which was discovered when he was just eight weeks old.
Mum Christine told 9News: “Through that whole time we thought we were healthy, and that we were carrying a healthy baby.
“It was only when Darragh was eight weeks old that through a heel prick test we got a call to say he’s got cystic fibrosis.
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“We had no clue what that was.”
The "heartbroken" parents later discovered that their residency application was rejected as Darragh's condition could mean he would require a lung transplant, funded by the taxpayer.
The family are now facing deportation from the country they have made home.
Christine added: “We were so stupid, we didn’t even think this was going to be a problem. We were naïve about the whole thing."
Darragh's parents have now started a petition calling for senior politicians in Australia to overturn the decision and allow them to stay in the country.
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Christine continued: “This is it for us. The minister is the only person who can help.
“We don’t want to go back to Ireland. There is nothing there for us.
“We just want to be here, this is our home and for that to be taken away because our son has a medical condition, which was unknown, it’s just heartbreaking. It’s not his fault.”
Christine and Anthony Hyde's petition for Darragh can be found HERE.
