An Australian single dad is broke because of trying to come home. His family had four canceled flights from the United Kingdom due to the pandemic.
The Australian single dad adds that it was not only the canceled flights that caused him to get "pretty broke." It was also the government red tape that brought him to such a state.
Scott Walker and his two kids, Sarah and Eden who are thirteen and eleven years old respectively, flew back to Australia last Saturday. However, before being able to get the sight of an airplane, the single dad and his two kids went through a lot.
Fighting for custody
Before planning to come back to Australia, Scott and his two kids were living in the United Kingdom with the mother of the kids.
It was in 2019 when the marriage ended in divorce and the single dad had to fight for the custody of his two kids. His win for the custody allowed the single dad to bring the children to Australia.
Even though he has already won, the family got stranded in the United Kingdom. Scott said, "After being granted the right to come home and give my children a life that I thought was better, I am more sceptical about it every day."
Four canceled flights
Due to the pandemic, four flights that were supposed to bring the family home to Australia were canceled.
Aside from the fact that the flights were canceled, Scott was laid off from his job due to the pandemic as well.
Because of all of these fiascos, the single dad is broke.
Friends helped to send them home
Walker decided to start a GoFundMe campaign. However, repatriation flights were not cheap.
He shared to ABC.net, "They're (repatriation flight) the normal cost of flight at $2,500 per seat, so it has swallowed a lot of funds that I'll need to replenish."
The single dad is broke but has friends who were willing to help. He said that this made a huge difference in getting back home.
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Single dad is broke but is close to going home.
Last Saturday morning, Scott, Sahara, and Eden boarded the repatriation flight to Australia from London.
It was sudden news for the family. It was a touch-and-go for them since Eden was denied a seat before.
Five hours before their flight on Saturday, they were informed so they had to rush going to the airport. They had to pack quickly and leave their accommodation.
The family is now in a quarantine facility. He shared, "We're now in a quarantine at the Howard Springs facility at Darwin, which is a bit like an army barracks during the zombie apocalypse. It's surreal."
The Australian single dad is broke, but the family now have big smiles on their faces.
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