Good Sorts: Dunedin travel agent selflessly reunites stranger with dying son

December 7, 2020

Dunedin’s Rosann Conolly George flew from Dunedin to Auckland to surprise a man she’d never met.

Dunedin’s Rosann Connolly-George is a travel agent - not the ideal job to be in during a pandemic, with Covid-19 forcing many out of work.

But with her newly found spare time, she’s helped a man at the other end of the country who badly needed to see his son.

On a secret trip, she flew from Dunedin to Auckland with plans to surprise Robbie Van Der Hayden, a man she had never met.

Earlier this year he was in a bad way after hearing the news his son Chris in Perth was diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer.

With Australia’s borders closed due to Covid-19, he spent nearly $30,000 on a hoax private jet that left him stuck in Pukekohe.  

Inspired by a Facebook post, Connolly-George reached out offering help for free to get Van Der Hayden to see his son one last time.

Watch the video for the full story.

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