Family warn deporting their beloved 81-year-old granny from Australia could prove fatal

The family of the 81-year-old grandmother, who is in danger of being deported from Australia, warned that this move could be fatal and that she could not survive alone in South Africa.

Erika Power lives with her husband and four children in South Rochedale, about 20km south of Brisbane.

Ms Power’s mother, Elizabeth, 81, originally from South Africa, has also lived with the family for the past 17 years.

During this time, she acted like a second mother to her four grandchildren and formed a special bond with them as she watched them grow.

The 81-year-old man also waited patiently for 17 years for his permanent residence visa to be processed and approved.

Mrs Power told the Daily Mail that she and her husband had been appointed as her mother’s Support Trustee, a legal arrangement in which an individual provides financial support to a migrant rather than the government.

These insurers are required to meet income requirements and pay term deposits or bank guarantees; the latter usually Between $5,000 and $14,000.

But after Ms. Power’s husband lost his job, the family cannot afford the $5,000 the court requested as bail by Oct. 31.

Elizabeth, 81, photographed with her four grandchildren in Logan, Queensland

If bail was not paid, Ms Power was told her mother would be given 14 days to leave Australia permanently.

He said this situation was putting a strain on the family as their children were in danger of losing their grandmother, whom they affectionately call ‘Ouma’.

‘This is a very stressful situation. “We shed so many tears because none of us, especially the children, wanted to lose him,” she said.

‘My mother also burst into tears because she didn’t know where to go. The problem is that he has no one in South Africa.

‘My father passed away. My sister passed away. I’m the only living relative.’

Ms Power said her mother would not be able to survive on her own if she had to return to South Africa.

‘He doesn’t even have enough income to rent a place on his own,’ he said.

He doesn’t even drive the car. He would not be able to travel to the shops from the accommodation he could not afford.

Ms Power (pictured with her mother) said the family was in tears as her mother may have to return to South Africa without family, support and a place to live.

‘There are no taxis or public buses. How does he find food?

‘And we can’t afford his accommodation on the other side of the world, as well as our family’s accommodation in Australia.

‘We don’t have that much money.’

Ms Power added that her application for a bank loan had been unsuccessful.

She said her husband tried to sell some items online and worked as an Uber driver to save enough money for bond.

But their efforts were ‘not enough’ to raise $5,000 in such a short time.

The family took action as a last resort GoFundMeAt the time of this writing, it has raised $3,981 of its $5,000 goal.

Ms Power claimed she was so touched by the generosity of Australians that the support brought them to tears.

‘I’ve been really surprised by the generosity of people trying to help him because they understand he has nowhere to go,’ she said.

‘When I tell my mom that someone else gave me $10 or something, she bursts into tears. ‘Oh my God, these people are helping me,’ he says.’