Moving abroad can be isolating. Motherhood is isolating. A pandemic, (particularly when you're an Australian based overseas and the borders are closed) is incredibly isolating. But all at once? That's a trifecta of isolation. 

In this episode we speak to Bec, an Australian who had just moved to Sweden when the borders closed. After giving birth to her son, she felt incredibly alone. Miraculously, her parents received a compassionate exemption to visit her, but found themselves stuck in Sweden when they arrived at the airport to depart, and were told that their flight had been cancelled. They were stuck in Sweden for more than 3 months...a trip that would cost them thousands. 

Thank you for sharing your story with us Bec. We hope that it helps others feel seen.

Please rate, review and subscribe to us on Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts. It'd help us so much. Links here: linktr.ee/australiansabandoned

If you'd like to share your story with us, please get in touch aussiesabandonedabroad@gmail.com

You can also submit a written story for our blog by sending us an email: medium.com/@australiansabandoned

An Isolation Trifecta - Episode 08

Bek and Brea talk to Cristina, who received death threats and was called a bad mother after telling her story in Australian media. Cristina and her two sons found themselves separated from her husband and his four sons in the US when the border closures came into effect. Worried her family wouldn’t survive, Cristina, her children and her ex-husband have all moved to Europe to escape the restrictions. This is a great one. We hope you enjoy. 

Please rate, review and subscribe to us on Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts. It'd help us so much. Links here: linktr.ee/australiansabandoned
If you'd like to share your story with us, please get in touch aussiesabandonedabroad@gmail.com
You can also submit a written story for our blog by sending us an email: medium.com/@australiansabandoned

Reuniting a family split in two – Episode 09 (Recorded Oct 15)

What happens to Australians who can't access an approved vaccine?

In this episode Brea and Bek talk to Nichola, an Australian stuck in Ireland and a member of the Reconnect Australia team.
 
Nichola left Australia in January 2021, after receiving an exemption, to take a dream job in Ireland that had been put on hold for her since the beginning of the pandemic. Because of the border closures, she has not seen her husband, who still lives in Australia, for ten months. 
 
Nichola is a scientist and currently works on a vaccine project (for parasites, not viruses). She always trusted that the scientists working on vaccines would find a way to protect us as soon as possible, but was apparently very naive in believing that the Australian government would do the same for ALL Australians.
 
Nichola spent much of her PhD working in developing countries in Southeast Asia and as a result, is highly aware of the issues facing stranded Australians in less developed parts of the world. 

Please rate, review and subscribe to us on Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts. It'd help us so much. Links here: linktr.ee/australiansabandoned
If you'd like to share your story with us, please get in touch aussiesabandonedabroad@gmail.com
You can also submit a written story for our blog by sending us an email: medium.com/@australiansabandoned

The Problems with Vaccine Inequity - Episode 10

Documenting the stories of some of the tens-of-thousands of Australians left abandoned by the country's exceptionally tough pandemic travel restrictions.

Australians, Abandoned

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