Point Beach Grad Gets Home After Coronavirus Travel Troubles

POINT PLEASANT BEACH – Kathy Given's daughter, Kirby, is finally home.

After getting lots of help from the media and Rep. Chris Smith's office, Kirby Given is coming home after her rugby team was stuck in Peru because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The borders were virtually closed, Kathy said, and flights were canceled.

"She is back at college in Maryland," Kathy said. "She got back early Saturday morning. She is a graduate assistant there and doing an internship online, getting a masters in a month or so."

Kirby posted a message on Facebook, saying she "would like to thank all those who not only wished my friends and me a speedy return from Peru, but helped my friends and I get home by reaching out to state officials and spreading the word through social media!"

Indeed, there have been hundreds – if not thousands – who have found themselves unable to return to America since the outbreak. Additional steps could be taken to make it even more difficult.

Kirby came home as cases also continue to surge in the United States, including New Jersey. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Kirby, a 2013 graduate of Point Pleasant Beach High School, is a graduate assistant earning her masters degree at Salisbury University. She also excels at various sports, including rugby and volleyball.

The family lived in Point Pleasant Beach for a long time until another heartbreaking circumstance confronted them. They were forced to move after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Now they live in Toms River, and Kirby was among a group of rugby players who traveled before the outbreak surged.