So Much Support

As hard as it is to deal with what has happened over the last four months and particularly the last month, it's so nice to know that hundreds of people are thinking of us, praying for us and helping us in so many ways.  I've been blown away by how much support we have been by family, friends and strangers.  I've been stopped in the street by strangers telling me that they have been thinking of me and my boys and were so sorry to hear what has happened.

I have been amazed and surprised that there has been so much interest in what has happened to us, but it makes me realise how much people care and want to help.

The Punchbowl Primary School newsletter, the first week back at school.  

A lovely reporter Jayne wrote a newspaper article back in October just two weeks after Noah had passed away, about us going in the Make a Wish run in honour of Noah.  After Aaron passed away, a couple of people had contacted the paper, and Jayne did another story in the paper about a beautiful lady Naomi who had started doing some fundraising for us. Naomi, like me loves blogging and blogs about life with her seven (yes seven!) children.  Her page is called Seven Cherubs.  

I didn't even know she was doing any fundraising, until the total was over $2000. I was so blown away that someone would do something so lovely, and was amazed that so many people had donated so much money and thought that $2000 was incredible.    The first article in the Examiner talked about the fundraising (you can click on each picture to go to the online article). 

Before I knew it, there was another article in the newspaper almost once a week.

As the fundraising was going I wasn't really following it at all.   I was so grateful to Naomi and to everyone who was donating, but at the time I was just in so much shock and dealing with just getting through the day, that I couldn't even think about what was going on with it all. My family and friends were telling me what was happening though, and I just couldn't believe it when they would tell me how much money people had donated. 

If that wasn't enough, Naomi and another beautiful lady Nicole (the cupcake fairy) then started working on having an online auction, and before I knew it there was over 100 items donated from so many beautiful businesses and people from around Tasmania and the whole country.  My cousin Toni even made a very cool button for the auction (in Hawks colours for Aaron of course! :)

I often have people asking me 'what can I do to help?' and I really have no idea what to tell them, but it was so nice to know that people were doing what they could to help anyway, especially as I'm a very independent person usually, and find it hard to accept help from others.   No amount of money will bring Noah or Aaron back, but it's so nice to know that so many people care enough to do something to help us, and the amount of money that has been raised is absolutely incredible.  It will definitely make our lives easier over the next little while, and gives us some breathing space, until everything is sorted out. 

Aaron and I hadn't been able to afford to get Noah's headstone and plaque made for his grave yet, so I'm now 'looking forward' to getting that done with some of the fundraising money (if you can ever look forward to getting a headstone for your own child) and also will be getting Aaron's plaque done very soon. It's so nice to know that I can get it straight away.

Thank you Naomi (and Nicole) for being so kind to do something so amazing to help us, and to everyone who has either donated money or items for the auction (big or small) or purchased something from the auction.  I have been touched by each and every donation. I will never, ever be able to say how thankful I am to everyone. I wish I could thank everyone individually.  The money will help us immensly, allowing us this time to grieve without having to worry about finances so much. 

It has helped me so much to know that I'm not alone in this, and makes me realise how many people care for me and my boys, even those who don't know us.  I'm sure that Aaron and Noah would both be smiling down knowing that we are being looked after by so many amazing people right now.