Gardaí: sick Chinese student can stay

A CHINESE student recovering from a heart transplant was yesterday given an eleventh-hour reprieve after gardaí made a u-turn on deporting him.

Liang Dong, or Eric, 26, was living in fear of being deported this week despite recently having a life-saving transplant in Dublin’s Mater Hospital.

However, despite the best efforts of hospital staff for several weeks to extend his student visa for humanitarian reasons, gardaí looked set to deport Liang until his case went public yesterday.

Director of the National Heart and Lung Transplant unit at the Mater, Mr Freddie Wood, explained: “He’s been over here for the last two years or so studying English and, unfortunately, in October of last year, he got a terminal heart condition that resulted in him being admitted to the Mater.

“He had various treatments to try and get him out of heart failure but he ultimately required an urgent heart transplant. We transplanted him on the 12th of December and he’s done very well.

“The problem is that he is a student here and he has a student visa issued by the garda immigration bureau and the Department of Justice and it expired on the February 8.”

Mr Wood added that the Mater hospital had been “endeavouring” to try and get the visa renewed but as he was sick and not studying, this was impossible.

“We wouldn’t be letting him back to his studies until May or early June. As part of convalescence, it takes transplant patients six to seven months to be ready to get back to work and integrate back into society.”

“He has the stress of possibly being deported.”

The student is recovering as an outpatient. There had been fears his parents who came here to visit him would also be sent home.

After the hospital contacted 2FM’s Gerry Ryan, gardaí said Liang could stay.

A Garda press office spokesman said: “His visa was extended as where the ones for his parents.”

It is believed when Liang has fully recovered he will return to his studies.