Fund raising Auction for Manukau Sands.

I had done lots of charities, the biggest two being raising funds for the deaf in Kenya and to separate a pair of Siamese/co-joint twins from Nepal. I am very happy to be associated with this new fund raiser.

Pinafore Princess, a retail/shopping store is doing an auction to raise funds for Manukau Sands. I donate 2 signed copies of my 3rd edition of my book, "Diary of a bereaved mother, goodbye my baby."

We are currently looking for Donations to go towards this amazing auction for this charity.

All proceeds will be for Sands Manukau.

If you would like to donate something please email me at pinaforeprincess@hotmail.co.nz for more info

... All donations will be much appreciated and Money made form this auction will be for such a wonderful cause.

This auction is run by Pinafore Princess and is no way associated with facebook.

Auction will start on Wednesday the 25th of july and will finish Monday the 30th of july.See More

Information on Sands Manukau

Information on Sands Manukau

Sands Manukau is a registered charity supporting families who have experienced the death of a baby at any stage of pregnancy and up to a year following birth. We enable grieving parents to recognize their baby ...as a member of the family offering practical advice and support materials that create the memories that last a life time. We offer bereaved parents the opportunity to share experiences, talk and listen, offering empathy and understanding for their situation through phone support, one on one contact and monthly meetings. We are not counsellors but we are all bereaved parents who volunteer our time to support other parents and their families.
Sands Manukau volunteers are available to support parents during their time in hospital or at home following the birth if required.
Parents can be supported throughout a pregnancy where the baby is terminally ill and will not live long after birth by someone who has been in a similar situation. Whether the choice is made to interrupt the pregnancy or continue with it, we are here to help.


What they Offer:
During your stay in hospital - We are available to assist with memory making and parenting ideas while you and your baby are in hospital. Would you like to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience and understands what you are going through? If so please ring us or ask your bereavement team member to ring us on your behalf and we will arrange this.
Free Hand/Foot Casting – We cover the cost of 2 hands and 2 feet mounted on a granite or wooden base with name plaque. Included in this service are photos (placed on CD) and inkless hand/foot prints.
Care Bags - for parents whose baby dies from 12 weeks gestation up to one year of age. These Care Bags contain various memory making opportunities including items such as a special memories book, candle, and 2 teddy bears (one for mum, one for baby).
Miscarriage Packs - For parents whose baby dies less than 12 weeks gestation.
Monthly Meetings – These adult only meetings allow for the expression grief in a safe and caring environment. Parents who share similar experiences can often listen, acknowledge and accept feelings that others may find hard to comprehend. The group meetings offer a non-judgmental space to share stories, concerns and feelings.
Coffee Mornings – These monthly mornings are a great way to get togetherSee More

 retail price NZ$35   http://annkitsuetchin.blogspot.com/2011/02/who-is-ann-kit-suet-chin.html

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Cala lilies

Cala lilies have a special place in my heart. In Borneo,I used to visit my grand dad's rubber garden. The trees verged to patches of uncultivated land, and Cala lilies grew. They were wild flowers and we didn't appreciate them.
When I went o Auckland, New Zealand, I stayed in Grey Lynn. It was like a ghetto with big houses rented to students or Pasifika families. The gardens were unkempt and Cala Lilies grew wild in humongous clumps. I think of my Grand dad who had died shortly after I went to Canada. The blooms reminded me of the fun time I had with him.
In the Mt Eden house we lived when Andrew was born, there too were cala lilies. For his funeral, I took Deborah to look for these special flowers to put on top of his coffin. There were exactly 4 blooms. I told Deborah, these were just right, one from each of us for Andrew.
We left NZ for 16 years, and came back to this house in Sandringham, God gave me Cala Lilies. I often cut stalks of them and brought them home.
On this trip of the reunion with my ex-students, I will be meeting them for the first time since 1975. I will be telling them about Andrew. I will be telling them about my Cala lilies.

Guess what should I see at the Auckland International Airport?

At JR Dutiy free shop, were boxes of colored calas. Mirna was very attentive and offered to take my photo. I had a warm  fuzzy feeling. This trip is going to be a great one.

Emily's Corner -

Emily's Corner - a project ran by Katherine Thomas and Sands Manukau which aims to make an Emily's Corner in every library in NZ Please support us. Thanks




fellow bereaved mum Katherine in her entry in the New World Perfect Day entry. We all voted and supported her and she won.We will present a bundle of children's books that each of our guests will choose to donate to a school or play-centre of their choice, in our Emily's name.

Founded	June 20, 2012

Contact Info

Website	http://www.sandsmanukau.co.nz

Founded on Today

In Everywhere.

Our latest project 'Emily's Corner' aims to create a section in the children's area of every library in New Zealand. Inspired by Katherine Thomas's stillborn daughter, Emily Sienna Yearbury, this project will be an ongoing fundraiser which will publicly acknowledge our babies throughout New Zealand. Every library who choose to participate in this project will have an Emily's Corner within their children's section which will be filled with books belonging to Emily and dedicated to all babies who have wings. Wooden cube seating with a painted 'E' will give the children a place to sit while they read and a plaque will outline the reason behind each Emily's Corner. A dedication list will be framed (which can be added to) for any parent visiting the library who has a baby with wings. This way, all families have the opportunity to publicly acknowledge their own baby's name and date. Every year, new books will be added to the collections with age appropriate titles.

Thinking of you Megan.

Today, I printed my third edition of my book. My friend Megan has read it and may she be comforted as it is the EDD of her twins, Peanut and Poppet. How I wish as Megan said we could have a special vehicle to go up to heaven and bring them down to us. Megan is also missing her other sons Theo and Christopher and two others whom I forgot their names. Kisses and hugs to you, Megan.

Megan, I share with you the EDD of Andrew. 20^th October 1989. Today would have been Andrew’s due date. But he jumped the gun and came 3 weeks early. An irrational me looked at Andrew, and asked him, “Why did you come earlier than when you were supposed to? If you came today, you would be a normal baby.” I was consumed with sadness; I didn’t offer to hold Andrew at his feeding time.

The duty nurse asked if I wasn’t feeling so good this morning. I told her, and started to cry. She gave me a hug. She told the other duty nurses, and they gave me extra TLC. With their loving care, my feeling of despondent slowly subsided. Realistically, Andrew had arrived, and he was Campomelic regardless of when he came. Nothing could change that.

Spring flowers for you, it is surreal, spring flowers in the middle of winter. But that's our lot, as bereaved mums, nothing is real any more.

Sands mum Katherine Thomas wins the New World Competition.

Sands mums of New Zealand, especially rallied behind fellow bereaved mum Katherine in her entry in the New World Perfect Day entry. We all voted and supported her. Katherine's baby Emily was born and died on the same day. We all wanted to give her a bit of joy, though we know, it is hard as emotions ebb and flow with the death of a child.I voted for Katherine, she deserved to win. I appreciate she has chosen to give a bundle of books to her guest who will in turn donate them to others.

Enjoy your day, we are all behind you. I will also pray for you too.

Ann, Sands Auckland.
It was freezing cold this morning when the reporter knocked on Katherine's door. I had just gone outside to take a photo of the frost covered roof of my car. I craved Andrew's name on it. It's the first time, I have ever encountered so much frost in Auckland.
http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/finalist-1-katherine-thomas-perfect-wedding-day-4915088

"My perfect day is November 11th, 2012. It is the day I marry my high-school sweetheart. It is the day marking the eight month anniversary of the birth and death of our daughter, Emily. It is the day that our families come together at a beautiful church in an Otara paddock, sharing a picnic and BBQ feast. It is the day we eat Grandad's bacon and egg pie, mussel fritters and family-famous almonds. It will be the day where, finally, joy will exist.

I am a youth-worker, my man is an auto-sparkie. So we live for inspiration and light. It will begin as every day has since Emily was born. We will share a coffee, tell each other we love one other, to have fun and drive safe. I will spend the morning with my girlfriends making home-made salads from produce from my Dad's fruit store, apply makeup and curl some hair. We will DIY-decorate the paddock with candles and jam jars, picnic blankets and hot-water bottles. I will wear my beautiful dress, and he will wear his Thailand-made suit. We will meet at the church, him on his scooter, me in my Combi. Both of my Dads will give me away and wish him good luck! We will all smile and laugh, eat and dance, play and take pictures, and steal lotsa kisses.

As the BBQ heats up and the sun begins to set, we will cut the strawberry cake he has been wanting since he was five. We will present a bundle of children's books that each of our guests will choose to donate to a school or play-centre of their choice, in our Emily's name. We will set off the fireworks, watch, and then depart as husband and wife, living happily ever after."

Strike 3: gone like a lightning bolt

A public memorial service will be held today for the New Zealand triplets killed in a mall fire in Doha, Qatar.

Lillie, Willsher and Jackson Weekes were among 19 people killed when the fire broke out in the Villaggio mall in the Gulf state two weeks ago.

Today's service at Wellington Cathedral St Paul's is open to anyone to attend, and will be available to watch live over the internet for the many friends and family of the Weekes family who are not able to make it.

The family said they felt it was important to open the service to members of the public, as they had been overwhelmed by the love and support they have received since the two-year-olds died.

A Facebook campaign has been set up to encourage well-wishers who can not make it to the memorial to release a trio of helium balloons at 4pm and take photos of them floating into the air.

The public memorial service will be followed by a private funeral to lay the toddlers to rest.

Today's memorial service will be live-streamed on tvnz.co.nz from 1pm


The family has requested people attending to wear their children's favourite colours, red, purple and blue and to donate to the Wellington Neonatal Trust. What a wonderful family, in the midst of their sorrow, they think of others.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/wellington-memorial-triplets-killed-in-doha-fire-4919053

My heavy heart is with Jane and Martin Weekes, had been in Qatar for the past five years. They returned to Wellington to give birth to the triplets after they were conceived using IVF. It was strike 1 for me when Andrew died. But for Jane and Martin to lose 3 especially when they came after IVF and when they survived their premature state.