Carrie Bickmore on The Project: Uma Tomarchio needs bone marrow transplant but can’t access Medicare
Carrie Bickmore fought back tears on The Project speaking to the parents of a toddler who needs a life saving transplant but can’t access Medicare even though she was born in Australia.
Four-year-old Uma Tomarchio has lived in Australia her whole life after her parents moved to Melbourne from Italy, but she is not eligible for Medicare because our laws don’t recognise her citizenship by birth.
Her parents Lucia Gardini and Giuseppe Tomarchio are now desperately trying to raise money for a $300,000 bone marrow transplant after their private health insurer told them it was not covered and the hospital demanded half the payment – $150,000 – before booking the operation.
The Tomarchio family from Melbourne have lived in Australia for seven years (pictured L-R: Solejai, Lucia, Uma and Giuseppe)
An emotional Carrie Bickmore fought back tears speaking to Uma’s parents (pictured)
‘She is a very sweet, very happy little girl she always smiles, even in the hospital when she is very sick, she always finds a way to smile,’ Ms Gardini told Bickmore on The Project on Wednesday night.
‘One night she was very sick, vomiting and with a temperature and she just looked at me and said ”I’m not flying to the sky mum don’t worry, I’m staying with you’,’ she said
‘Even then in that moment she was trying to make me feel better.’
The Project host, overcome with emotion, struggled to respond – managing a ‘wow’ as she choked back tears.
‘Uma was diagnosed with (acute lymphoblastic) leukemia two years ago, at first she responded well to the treatment and went into remission immediately,’ her dad Giuseppe explained.
‘But she relapsed and the disease mutated into a more rare and aggressive form.’
She needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life.
‘Our insurance doesn’t cover and we don’t have the right to public health,’ he said.
‘We can’t come do it in Italy for several reasons, especially as such a trip is not safe for her right now.’
Uma has been battling cancer for since she was two-years-old with the family (pictured) having to beg for money because cold-hearted bureaucrats have denied her Medicare
Family friend Megan Mahon explained the family has lived here for seven years and are working towards their permanent residency but are currently on working visas.
‘Giuseppe is a partner in a business with his cousins, pays tax and employs 20+ Aussies,’ Ms Mahon said.
‘The business is still young and was impacted heavily by Covid.’
‘The family are active members of their local community and contribute to society, but still because of the complicated visa situation, they are not covered by Medicare for this life saving treatment.’
A GoFundMe has been setup by friends as the family desperately try to raise the $300,000 needed to pay for Uma’s transplant.
Lucia and Giuseppe speak on The Project on Wednesday night (pictured)
Up until August 20, 1986, babies who were born in Australia were automatically Australian citizens, but after that, the law was changed to make children meet one of two criteria.
One or both parents need to be Australian citizens; or they must have lived in Australia from birth until they turn 10.
According to the Medicare Australia website: ‘Medicare is Australia’s universal health insurance scheme. It guarantees all Australians (and some overseas visitors) access to a wide range of health and hospital services at low or no cost’.
For those that hold a Medicare card, the cost of essential operations at a public hospital are in most cases free.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the federal health department for comment.
