Vincent is flying back to the Solomon Islands after 16 months of life-saving medical treatment in Canberra.

• Lucy Bladen

Vincent Toto and his mother Cosinta Matesonia  have been in Canberra for the past 16 months for medical treatment. They stayed with Sandra Goldstraw.

Vincent Toto has a smile that could brighten up any room.

But the toddler from the Solomon Islands hasn't had an easy start to life.

He was born with a gap between his stomach and oesophagus, which meant no food was able to get through.

Vincent had a gastrostomy tube put in when he was in the Solomon Islands so he could get fluids and nutrients, but he was in need of more substantial medical care.

When he came to Australia in July 2019 at two months old, he was only expected to stay for eight or nine months but he and his mother, Cosinta Matesonia, have stayed for the past 16 months.

During that time he has had three major surgeries and about 30 gastroscopies.

Vincent came to Australia as part of the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) program. The organisation sponsors children from overseas to come to either Australia or New Zealand for life saving surgery.

Vincent and Ms Matesonia stayed with Sandra Goldstraw when they were not in hospital. After 16 months, they will be returning to the Solomon Islands on Saturday morning.

Vincent Toto came from the Solomon Islands for medical treatment under the Rotary ROMAC program at the age of two months. Picture: Karleen Minney

"I was thinking about them leaving and I had tears in my eyes," Ms Goldstraw said.

"They are my family so I know I am going to cry."

Ms Goldstraw has hosted 23 children through the program.

"They become your family when they come here," she said.

"I don't have any grandchildren yet, I have one on the way, but all these children are my grandchildren.

"My husband gets called Papa all the time and I'm Grandma."

It will be an adjustment for Vincent, who has spent most of his short life in Canberra.

"The journey home is going to be hard for him and getting settled in to island life again is going to be quite interesting for him," Ms Goldstraw said.

Vincent's treatment was possible due to a memorandum of understanding between ROMAC and the ACT government.

Vincent Toto and his mother, Cosinta Matesonia are flying back to Honiara this weekend. Picture: Karleen Minney

Not all states and territories have the memorandum but Ms Goldstraw hopes they will one day.

"It is a humanitarian program and to get a little bit extra support from the government or from each state would be fantastic," she said.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic the program has had to be halted. Vincent was the only child left in Australia or New Zealand.

"We're not allowed to do the program because we have to have special medical visas and that has had to stop ... Vincent was our only one in Australia and New Zealand until COVID stops," Ms Goldstraw said.

"We've got about 200 people waiting to come in and some of them are dying, some will die, so it's really heartbreaking to hear of these children who we could have looked after."

Ms Matesonia thanked everybody who helped Vincent over the past 16 months.

"I want to say thank you to the hospital for helping us and also thank you to Rotary as well for the help, if not my baby was going to die," she said.