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14th Jul 2021

Una Healy’s kids blocked from travelling to the States with their dad’s new wife

Kat O'Connor

“I am very much not okay and I am a complete mess”

Una Healy and Ben Foden’s kids’ trip to America was brought to a halt due to current travel restrictions.

9-year-old Tadgh and 6-year-old Aoife were set to fly out stateside for the summer but ran into trouble at the airport.

It is understood that Ben’s wife Jackie flew from New York to Dublin so she could bring the children back to the USA with her, but their tickets were blocked by immigration, Jackie stated.

 

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A post shared by Jackie Smith Foden (@snackyjax)

“An hour at check-in trying to get them through and then another 1-2 hours stuck in immigration offices only to be told there is a ban on EU citizens and there’s nothing possible we can do other than fly to Turkey or Mexico quarantine for 14 days and then bring them over from there.”

Jackie said she had spent the past month organising the children’s trip to America.

“Hours on the phone with Aer Lingus making sure their stepmother can bring them over and booking their ESTA’s. Ben can’t travel because he is getting his green card processed and can’t leave the country.

“I take the red-eye to Dublin last night. When I checked in at JFK the attendants check on the kids’ return flights. Everyone was made aware of my plans to turn right back around with my stepkids.”

 

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A post shared by Jackie Smith Foden (@snackyjax)

Tadgh and Aoife were hoping to reunite with their dad for the summer as they haven’t seen him since Christmas.

Jackie praised Una for calming the kids down. “Una was a rockstar with them, they were on the phone with their dad. Both Una and he calmed them down. I am very much not okay and I am a complete mess.”

Ben now hopes to travel to Ireland or England for the summer.