Pregnant couple stranded in mexico face nearly 40k in costs to return to australia 20200825 p5xxl9.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Pregnant couple stranded in Mexico face nearly $40k in costs to return to Australia

9News Staff

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A Melbourne couple expecting a baby are facing exorbitant costs of nearly $40,000 to come home to Australia after being stranded in Mexico.

Pregnant mother Bec Paton and her fiancé Jay Morrow, who is battling terminal cancer, were given special exemption to leave the country for medical treatment in early August.

Mr Morrow's aggressive liver cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and the treatment in Mexico was the couple's last bid to free him of the terminal illness.

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Jay Morrow and Bec Paton spoke to 9News about being stranded in Mexico.  Nine

The Melbourne dad was granted a special exemption to fly to Mexico for cancer treatment. Nine

"Nothing left for us in Australia, so we had to go to Mexico to try something different," he told 9News.

"Hopefully it works and I no longer have any more cancer, but worst case scenario it extends my life."

Friends and family raised more than $60,000 on a crowdfunding page for the treatment at the Hope4Cancer centre in Cancun, in the hope the 34-year-old could spend more time with his young family.

The cancer treatment for the 34-year-old was a last bid to save him from the terminal illness. Nine

Ms Paton is currently 29 weeks' pregnant with their third child.

"I had to be here to support Jay, I couldn't let him go through this by himself," she said.

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But the couple has now found themselves stuck overseas during the coronavirus pandemic, with hefty costs to return home.

READ MORE: Victoria records 148 new virus cases and eight further deaths

Bec is pregnant with her third child. Nine

"We had no idea this was going to happen, we had no idea we were going to get stuck," Ms Paton said.

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The couple has a flight to Madrid booked for Thursday, where they would have to quarantine for two weeks.

A flight home from Spain could cost close to $40,000, with business class tickets the only guaranteed ticket home. Upon arrival, they would need to quarantine in a hotel in Sydney for another $3000.

The couple are desperate to return hom to their two children. Nine

The couple are looking at options to fly via America where they won't have to quarantine, but the cost is still the same.

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The pair are desperate to be reunited with their daughters Maddison and Taylor and make it home before the pregnant mum is no longer able to fly in four weeks.

They have reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Government in an impassioned plea for help.

"I'd give anything to be home with them," Ms Paton said.

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