A mother battling breast cancer in hospital quarantine has peacefully passed away while surrounded by her loving family, according to A Current Affair.
Marilyn Panthsos was able to spend eight more precious days with her family after quarantine protocols had previously kept the family apart.
“That’s all she’s wanted for the past 10 months… for us to be all together,” Marilyn’s daughter, Peggy, told the Australian media outlet.
Mrs Panthsos had been suffering alone in a COVID-19 palliative care ward as the pandemic kept her husband, Nick, and two children, Chris and Peggy, from being by her side.
Timeline of events:
In August last year, Mr and Mrs Panthsos left Australia in desperate need of cancer treatment for Mrs Panthsos.
They were supposed to make it back at the end of the year which didn’t happen because of the pandemic, but things took a turn for the worst, so the couple decided to come back home.
The parents touched down in Australia on May 20 and spent one night together in hotel quarantine before Mrs Panthsos was transferred to hospital – spending the past week in isolation.
Mr Panthsos remained stuck in hotel quarantine, while his children stood helpless on the street looking up at him stuck in his room.
“(Her health) deteriorated when she first went into hospital. She has drains and fluids, which gives us some relief and will make her feel better for a little while,” Mr Panthsos told ACA when she was first admitted.
When doctors told the family Mrs Panthsos might not survive the 14 days, they applied for an exemption to be with their mum. But after a week of fighting to convince NSW Health and the hospital, they said they were told Mrs Panthsos was allowed while in quarantine.
“We just want to be there with her as much as we can before the inevitable happens,” Peggy said at the time.
Mr and Mrs Panthsos had both been vaccinated but a certificate to prove it appeared not to be enough.
“I get it, the protocols, there’s rules in place. But under the circumstances, I mean science should kick in … so if people get vaccinated, they’re still going to have to quarantine moving forward,” Mr Panthsos told ACA.
But then after ACA contacted NSW Health, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and his department acted.
Mr Panthsos was finally allowed into the hospital to see his dying wife after undergoing a COVID-19 PCR test. Chris and Peggy were also eventually given the green light to make a visit one at a time.
Heartbreakingly, Mrs Panthsos still lost her four-year battle with breast cancer.
“She’s been so strong, right through this whole journey… she’s the best mother in the world. She’s the best daughter in the world. She’s, the best sister in the world. I really can’t say much more about her – she’s amazing and she’s gonna be missed,” Mr Panthsos’ family told ACA.
Source: ACA.
