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Health / India

Woman's dying wish to see brother denied amid visa dispute

ABC News
1 min read Rewritten in plain language

ImmigrationBones and MusclesDiseases and DisordersPoliticsHuman Interest

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  • Living with an excruciating bone disease, Anna Rochford's dying wish is to see her brother one last time.
  • Anna Rochford lives with a debilitating condition that feels like "acid is being poured into [her] bones 24/7".
  • The siblings were sent to separate orphanages as young children in India after their mother died, only reconnecting when Ms Rochford was a teenager and discovering they were two of five siblings.
  • In a letter seen by the ABC, Ms Rochford's doctor said she had "suffered immeasurable distress as a result of her condition" with a poor prognosis and "significantly" reduced life expectancy.
  • In decision statements seen by the ABC, the Department of Home Affairs said the applicant had not provided enough detail on personal finances.

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She has avascular necrosis leaving her unable to walk for 10 years.

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Living with an excruciating bone disease, Anna Rochford's dying wish is to see her brother one last time.

She would before visit him in India every year but is now too unwell to travel, and visa applications for him to come to Australia have been repeatedly denied.

The federal government says it has considered "the compassionate and compelling reasons for travel" but is not satisfied the applicant has met all requirements.

Anna Rochford lives with a debilitating condition that feels like "acid is being poured into [her] bones 24/7".

At 36 kilograms, the 57-year-old's disease is so severe her doctor says her lifespan has been greatly shortened.

The siblings were sent to separate orphanages as young children in India after their mother died, only reconnecting when Ms Rochford was a teenager and discovering they were two of five siblings.

Ms Rochford and her husband intend to pay for all her brother's travel expenses, and have offered a security bond, as well as medical certification.

In a letter seen by the ABC, Ms Rochford's doctor said she had "suffered immeasurable distress as a result of her condition" with a poor prognosis and "significantly" reduced life expectancy.

Ms Rochford also provided documentation outlining her brother's ties to his home country, including a wife and son who depend on him, stable work, and ongoing community commitments.

After three refusals in a year, she said she was starting to give up hope.

Through tears, husband Paul Rochford said he had watched his wife's deterioration.

In decision statements seen by the ABC, the Department of Home Affairs said the applicant had not provided enough detail on personal finances.

Shortened to 1 minute of reading, this version reads 4 on the Niral Score.

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is ABC News's report shortened to its most important sentences, in plainer words, with verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

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ABC Newsas they published this story 9.6 9 87 -0.2 24
Mundane Readneutralized from ABC News 4.9 8 87 -0.0 35.8

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