A young child in desperate need of surgery to repair a severe injury has been given clearance to fly to New Zealand with her mother to receive care.

Young Abigail Peden severely injured her arm and elbow earlier this week, needing to get from Papua New Guinea where her parents serve as missionaries to New Zealand for urgent surgery. On top of being somewhat isolated where they serve in PNG, New Zealand has strict isolation and quarantine requirements for people entering the island nation due to its COVID response.

In an update made on Friday, the family says that the New Zealand government is allowing the child and her mother to enter the country on special clearance.

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Picture of a sick girl on a plane with headline: Isolated missionaries ask for 'urgent prayer' for injured daughter

"Thank you, everyone, for the prayer, support, ideas and contacts," the post says. "It has been a roller-coaster with plans changing frequently but good news Abigail and Katie received emergency medical MIQ (Managed Isolation and Quarantine) approval this morning."

The mother and child were set to fly out at 6 a.m. local time for a hospital in Auckland, New Zealand.

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While the family is extremely thankful for the turn in events, they say that unfortunately the rest of the family was denied entrance.

"This is so hard for Katie who will be leaving behind three of her babies," the family says. 

They ask for prayers that the family will be reunited quickly. "And for poor Abigail who is still in a lot of pain and has a long journey back to N.Z. with a very early start and long layover in Australia."