Carrie and Laura Kunicich are grateful for support of the Whangārei community to get to Melbourne but are worried the trip is now at risk. Photo / Denise Piper
Carrie and Laura Kunicich are grateful for support of the Whangārei community to get to Melbourne but are worried the trip is now at risk. Photo / Denise Piper
A Whangārei teenager’s trip to Melbourne for specialist healthcare is at risk due to Jetstar’s inability to give her wheelchair assistance for her booked flight.
The airline has apologised but said that flight had reached its limit of two passengers needing wheelchair assistance.
Carrie Kunicich has atypical Friedreich ataxia, a rare genetic condition that leaves her with limited mobility, muscle spasms, neurological pain and vision of just 1m with glasses on.
Kunicich, a widow, was unable to pay for the trip herself from her part-time job with an accounting firm.
But she struck problems on Friday after booking the flight home from Melbourne for May 30 with discount carrier Jetstar.
Jetstar's inability to accommodate Carrie Kunicich's wheelchair assistance needs on her booked flight is putting the trip in peril while the family wait for a refund.
Kunicich said Jetstar’s website said it could provide wheelchair assistance but when she rang to finalise this, it was unable to give the help Carrie needs: a loan wheelchair to use at the airport after she checks in her motorised wheelchair.
Kunicich said her only option was a refund from the airline, which takes up to seven days. As of this morning, she still had not received the refund.
This puts her in a difficult position as she needs the refund before she can book a flight with a different carrier – and she is holding her breath amid the tension of whether flights and assistance will be available.
Kunicich was able to book flights and wheelchair assistance from Auckland to Melbourne on May 26 without issue with a different airline.
However, because Kunicich travels on a UK passport, she has to apply for Electronic Travel Authority or an eVisitor Visa in advance, and does not have flexibility with dates of travel to and from Australia.
She thought the approach by Jetstar was “ridiculous”.
The Kunicichs – Carrie, Laura and Keifer – need to travel to Melbourne again in late May so Carrie can have a check-up with specialists in the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Photo / Denise Piper
Jetstar apologised for being unable to accommodate the request on this occasion but said its wheelchair limit had been reached on the flight.
In a statement, the airline said its team worked hard to find the family an alternative flight but Kunicich opted to cancel the booking and take a full refund instead.
Jetstar has established a dedicated Contact Centre team to assist customers with specific assistance requests and regularly reviews the support provided to these customers, it said.
‘The community is just awesome’
While the Jetstar experience has put the trip on tenterhooks, Kunicich is still so grateful to the Whangārei community for the support and help with funding.
“The community is just awesome ... It’s a nice warm feeling to know that people care.”
One supporter is the Lions Club of Whangārei, which gave $1000 this year and confirmed another $1000 next year if Carrie needs to return to Melbourne for another check-up then.
Secretary Brian Boys said the club runs a charity golf tournament in March each year, and has already donated $10,000 to St John and $10,000 to North Haven Hospice from this year’s event.
Kunicich said she and Carrie hope to continue the relationship with Lions by helping out with its Citrus for the South project, with fruit collected and washed on August 10.
Other donations including $300 worth of gift vouchers from Hikurangi farm store Bates and Keen Family Farm, which will be raffled off to raise funds for the trip.
Kunicich believed people were willing to get behind Carrie because of her cool attitude, which saw her being recognised for academically excelling in 12 different subjects last term.
The first appointments with Melbourne specialists, led by Professor Martin Delatycki of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, were a great success as they recommended Carrie take baclofen, a medicine which helps reduce muscle spasms.
The drug has been a game-changer, reducing Carrie’s muscle spasms and involuntary limb movements, allowing her to sleep and concentrate better.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
