My beautiful friend Meredith

Before I write Part 2 of what has been our battle in the last few weeks, I need to write about something that is immediate.

Three days before I took Amelia to the Emergency Department at RCH, I received a message from a very dear friend of fine.

I may even say one of my best friend's.

It said that her 6 year olds brain cancer had spread to his spine.
The doctor had given them a prognosis of a few weeks.

I sobbed.
I sobbed uncontrollably.
I sobbed while she messaged me about her plans for him at the end.
I sobbed at the idea that she wanted to build a memorial garden at their home, to scatter his ashes.
She did not see my tears, only my words of support and love.

If I rewind, I jokingly called Meredith Hill "my stalker".

We had both been on the Parent Committee at school together.
We didn't really know each other.

After Amelia was diagnosed with Ataxia Telangiectasia.....
After we had been told to go home and "cherish" Amelia, I chose to drop her at school after the start of school and pick her up before home time.
I was not in the frame of mind to talk or explain.
It was 2010.

BUT she would catch me.
She would hug me.
She had absolutely NO IDEA what was happening to us.

Then she read about it when it was in The Herald Sun, our state wide paper.
She became "a friend" very quickly.
She was very different from the others though.
Meredith didn't want to DO anything like fundraise.......
She just wanted to be there for me and put a smile on Scott, Tom and Amelia and my faces.

She is still here with us.
Many others are not.

In the last 5.5 years, she has organised for flowers to be delivered to Amelia at school for her birthday.
She has seen Melbourne Demon Merchandise available at a market and totally smothered the stall for Tom.
She has sent Tom messages of support and told hime how "awesome" he is.
Meredith has arrived on our doorstep to give Tom a hug or Amelia some encouragement with her disease.

When I was suffering from severe depression, Meredith was the one to BANG on my front door repeatedly until I answered.
She was the one who wrote on Amelia's Project Page on Facebook to write about how inspirational I am to help pull me out of it.....

SHE IS A TRUE FRIEND.

Meredith is not after gossip or accolades for what she has done.
IT IS HER.

People call me strong, but this woman is an epitome of that word.

When Amelia was admitted to hospital recently, you all saw her comments and her wisdom.

She NEW what was happening to her son and so did I.
But she still wrote about her love and support.
She still spoke of "my girl" and "my boy".

We almost got into an argument on line when I said
"STOP WORRYING ABOUT US. FOCUS ON YOURS.

But that is not Meredith.
She genuinely cares for others.

BJ was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in February.
Normal child to vomiting child.
As easy as that.

After 4 months of not leaving Benjamin's side.
Four months after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer that then spread down his spine.

After 4 months of feeding him through a peg, sitting beside him through horrendous operations.
After 4 months of being EVERYTHING to him....
After him yelling at her and not talking to anyone.

He passed away this morning.........
In her arms.
The optimal place.

He was 6 years old.

After a text message this morning, we are all shattered.

Meredith, my whole family fell apart.

We LOVE you and feel your heartache.

YOU are our hero.
You are the most amazing person to enter our lives.

But you were never to lose a child.
When I met you.... YOU had 3 healthy children.
You were supporting us to lose OURS.

Tom is currently writing you a letter to say what he feels.
It will show you the kind of person you are from a 10 year old.

You have lost a child.
The worst possible thing to EVER happen in life.

You are everything that we would want to be in the same situation.

We will be someday and you will be the person we remember and look up to.

Love you forever and always
xxx

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