A Wagga man battling cancer is one step closer to being reunited with his family in Queensland after weeks of trying to get a travel permit.
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In May this year, Doug Newman found out that he had stage four glioblastoma brain cancer.
"The outcome of that could be terminal, and so my daughter wanted me to come live with her," he said.
"I usually only see them once a year, so I thought it would be a good idea.
"I have lived in Wagga since the long weekend in January 1987, and why not make a change now and start a new life?"
Mr Newman said he is looking forward to enjoying the warmer weather and spending time with the grandchildren.
But making the move has not been a quick and easy process as the Queensland border remains shut to NSW because of coronavirus.
"It has been a very stressful process to the point it made me feel unwell," Mr Newman said.
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"Thankfully, my daughter has been looking after it for me.
"She called me up earlier this week crying and said, 'Dad, you're finally coming home'."
Mr Newman flew out of Wagga on Friday and is now in hotel quarantine until November 5.
His daughter Nerrisa Newman said he was officially diagnosed on May 21, the date of her sons 16th birthday.
"My best friend and I had trekked down to Sydney so I could be with him,' she said.
"Within 30 minutes, I said to my dad, 'I would like you to come live with the kids and me in Queensland where you can be with family'.
"He agreed, and based on world statistics, the doctors have given him 12 to 15 months to live."
While his treatment was under way, there was not much Ms Newman could do, but then she finally got the go-ahead to look at moving him.
It took about six weeks to get any answers on her application.
"I was making phone calls and asking for updates all the time, but I wasn't getting any answers," Ms Newman said.
"I was getting messages from Dad going 'what's the go', and I had to say I had no information.
"I finally got hold of someone that could give me a hand, and he put a request through to the exemptions team asking them to have a look at my application. Then the following day, I got the call saying they were looking at it."
Ms Newman said that was at the start of October, but she still had to wait to get approval to book his flights.
She was also trying to organise for him to quarantine at home but was told he would need to stay at a "health hotel".
"Then on Monday this week, I finally got the call to say I could book a flight," Ms Newman said. "There were plenty of tears that day. It was such a huge relief."
Ms Newman said she felt at ease knowing her dad was in Queensland, even though it was in quarantine. But she never imagined it would be such a laborious process, especially considering his health condition.
"He was just moving states, not countries," Ms Newman said.
"I couldn't understand why medical teams couldn't do an interstate medical transfer to get people up there.
"People that are trying to relocate family that are ill into a different state for 'end of life care' because it's a terminal illness, they have got a lot to deal with."
Ms Newman said she is thrilled she gets to see him in just under two weeks.
"I can't wait to pick him up and bring him home," she said.
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