Trying to come to terms with the sudden death of our daughter Tanya has been the hardest thing Doug and I have ever had to deal with. The overwhelming sadness in knowing that her children have lost their mother and that we have lost a beautiful daughter has been an enormous emotional and draining burden for us to bear these past months. Tanya had her life tragically taken in a car accident whilst driving her two children aged nine and six to school on the 26th of February 2007. The events of that day have changed our lives and those of our granchildren completely and irrevocably. Tanya had just turned 31. Tanya was a loving and caring mother, trying to run a small business from home in an attempt to give her children a good start in life. Although she was a single mum Tanya had an amazing ability to reach out to people who were in need of a friend or someone they could lean on. She had so much to give and so much to live for. Tanya was our oldest child and her brother and sister have left home to pursue their own careers. At this stage in our lives we never imagined that we would be caring for two small children seven days a week. This has become a physical, emotional and financial challenge for us, and it is heartbreaking to see how much these young children miss their mother. Doug and I are now very aware that we are not alone when it comes to grandparents thrust into the role of raising grandchildren full time. There are clearly many grandparents out there who have had to take on new roles as parents and carers due to circumstances beyond their control. We are hoping that through making our circumstances public we can raise the awareness of people facing similar situations, and that we can all work towards achieving more support for not only the children involved but also for grandparents raising grandchildren. Donations are accepted by Mastercard, Visa, Diners Club, American Express and cheques in Australian dollars posted to the Paperchain Bookstore 34 Franklin Street Manuka ACT 2603 Australia Sites you can visit for further assistance include: www.seniors.gov.au (Aged and Community Care InfoLine 1800 500 853) www.facsia.gov.au (13 6150 or 13 1202 for non-English languages) www.fsa.org.au (1300 365 859) www.community.nsw.gov.au/ (6299 1111) www.barnardos.org.au (1800 061 000) www.marymead.org.au (02 6162 5800) If you are experiencing challenges, or know someone who is, contact some of these organisations. Even ask a friend to help you find your way through the system. You are invited to contribute your stories online at www.theword.com.au
