WHEN life took a challenging turn for parents Rebecca Schumann and Dan Kirkman upon the premature birth of their second child, a show of home grown support lifted their spirits.
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On Sunday October 24, Rebecca underwent an emergency c-section to welcome Phoenix into the world.
Suffering from growth problems in the uterus, he was born at the premature age of only 27 weeks and four days, weighing only 690 grams, and facing some serious challenges.
Tragically Phoenix lost his battle and passed away at 8.44pm on Saturday evening.
Supporting Phoenix, his parents and big brother Arlo (17 months) through this difficult time were the staff in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. Staying at Ronald McDonald House directly across the road, Dan credited the midwives in the unit with giving his son the best possible chances of survival.
Also supporting the family is the community of Forster and Amaroo Cruises’ Matt and Belinda Coombe. When they heard about Phoenix, they organised a fundraising cruise which was supported by over 100 people. Dozens of local businesses donated raffle prizes on board the boat. By the time everybody stepped off the Amaroo, $6000 had been raised towards Phoenix’s recovery.
“It has definitely been the worst roller-coaster ride you could imagine but what softens the blows is the amount of support Bec and I have received from our community of Forster,” Dan said last week.
“We are truly humbled by everyone’s generosity and are just amazed by the amount of people who are offering to support us through this challenging time. Hearing how much support we have back home definitely lifted our spirits.”
Dan, who works as a learning support officer at Great Lakes College, has frequently had photos from his photography business Something Visual published in stories with the Great Lakes Advocate.
After the tragic loss of Phoenix, Dan says he does not feel comfortable accepting the money raised for them.
“We have decided to donate to Ronald McDonald House as well as offer a payment to some friends who are going through a similar situation with their child. So the community’s generosity has not only helped our family but it has helped another and contributed to a great charity.”
