Queensland mum reunited with son after 12-week border separation

A Queensland mother has been reunited with her eight-year-old son after being separated for three months due to a coronavirus lockdown and border closures.

Simone Brennan rushed towards son Luchas, helium balloons clutched in her hand, as the pair shared a tender reunion on the Gold Coast today.

They have been separated for 12 weeks after Luchas was caught up in Sydney's COVID-19 lockdown while on a school holiday trip to visit his father in New South Wales.

READ MORE: Queensland records no new cases as vaccine blitz continues

The lengthy stay meant he missed an entire term of Year 3.

"I was like a mother hen without her baby," Ms Brennan told 9News.

"He is just the light of my life."

Despite Ms Brennan's desperate pleas to Queensland Health to allow her son to return home and quarantine with her, she was told it wouldn't be possible with multiple exemption requests denied.

She said for a long time it looked like hotel quarantine was Luchas' only option.

Eventually Ms Brennan's mother, Gwen, suggested she contact 2GB radio host Ben Fordham for help.

Speaking with Fordham earlier this month, Ms Brennan fought back tears as she explained the situation.

READ MORE: Victoria's road map to freedom revealed

"I just think it's so wrong... the children have already been through enough," she said.

"They should be able to come home. I'm happy to home quarantine. Why can't they have rapid testing?"

Fordham said repeated phone calls made by his producer Zac McClean led Queensland Health to finally allow Luchas to return to the state and quarantine with his mum.

"Having him with me for this long has been great, but it's been hard on his mum obviously," Luchas's father, Ali Abdullah, told 9News.

"It shouldn't have taken the radio host to get it out that this is happening. It's just un-Australian to be honest with ya."

Luchas will now spend this school holidays in home isolation.

Stories of separation are sadly set to continue with NSW and Queensland at odds over the path out of the pandemic.

"We all hope that we can see our relatives and friends for Christmas, that's going to depend on people getting vaccinated," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

There are no guarantees borders will open at 80 per cent vaccination rate.

"Delta doesn't understand borders and restrictions. We have to live with it," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.