A South Australian mother says the Australian embassy stepped in to help her track down life-saving medication for her son, after an airline lost their luggage.
Rebecca Mattinson said her 13-year-old son Thomas finally had the medication he needed in Copenhagen, but the family still had not been reunited with all of their luggage.
"The Australian embassy, really due to the story ... you guys aired, got in contact with us and they have been amazing and very supportive and together we worked out a way to locate the medication that Thomas needed," she told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning.
Ms Mattinson said nine days of searching for the medication in a different country, including four hospital visits, had been a "long, drawn-out process".
"We all slept very well last night knowing we didn't have to do anything else," she said.
The family travelled to Copenhagen so Thomas can represent Australia at the 25th World Games for frame running, hosted by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association.
Ms Mattinson said she had packed a week's supply of Thomas's medication in their carry-on luggage, but could not fit all of it in.
She also split the medication between two checked suitcases in case one was lost — but did not anticipate all of their luggage would go missing.
"It wasn't that we came ill-prepared, I don't believe, but Thomas's medical side of things takes up one whole half of a suitcase and that's in addition to what we carried on board," she said.
Ms Mattinson said Thomas had been reunited with his missing racing frame, in time for his first race later this week.
Despite the rough start to their journey, she said Thomas hopes to beat the world record for the 100-metre race in his qualification.
"Looking at the way he's running at the moment you would not have thought we've had the trauma that we've had," she said.
However, she said his Australian uniform — along with his medication — was in the two missing suitcases.
"It would just be amazing if we could, before Thursday, actually be reunited with that luggage," Ms Mattinson said.
"And we're ever so hopeful that tomorrow we get good news."
Last night, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson told the ABC that the two remaining suitcases were "awaiting transit" from Dubai.
The spokesperson said ground handlers in Copenhagen had "erroneously closed the missing baggage case" after some of the family's items were returned.
"This was incorrect and should not have happened," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the airline "sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and distress" the situation may have caused the Mattinson family.
"Our teams both in Dubai and Copenhagen are working to have the suitcases returned to Ms Mattinson and her family as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.
