Thankful Thursday - Jake Garrett Foundation

I am thankful this week that I still have my three children – at home, with me, and very much alive. My daughter is turning twenty this year and my twin boys are fifteen, so I have been with them through their entire childhood. Some parents are not so lucky.

Every day I read about a young child who has died through either illness or accident, which prompted an interesting discussion with my husband this week. I told him that I find it amazing and very inspiring how people cope with losing their child in an accident. I said that I could accept a terminal illness as something totally out of my control, but if my child was run over in the driveway or drowned in our dam, gosh how hard it must be to not only live with the grief of losing your child but also with the guilt and torment that you were perhaps responsible….’if only’s would plague you for many years.

Two years ago a Gympie family lost their 12 year old son when he crashed a modified ride on mower that he drove around their Amamoor property. He was getting the mail, a task he did every day, down their steep driveway, when something went wrong. He sustained intensive head injuries and died after 12 days in hospital.

What his mother did the following year is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and reminds me a little of the courage Daniel Morcombe’s parents have shown in the face of adversity. Helen Barrett established the Jake Barrett Foundation and tomorrow Friday the 28^th February, which would have been Jake’s 14^th Birthday, Gympie will celebrate Jake Garrett Foundation Day and raise money for this wonderful charity.

This excerpt from the Foundation’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JakeGarrettFoundation (please like and support) will make me forever thankful that people like Helen Garrett exist in this world:

Mission

To support families whose children have died, emotionally and financially by donating to the child's funeral, supplying grief literature and support for as long as the family needs.

Description

My story is about hope; it is about the changing face of hope and giving hope to others. When I found Jake lying lifeless on the ground, my HOPE at that point in time was the hope I could get him breathing again. In the hospital my HOPE was Jakes survival. The hope he would open his eyes again. As the days went on my HOPE was for Jakes pain to go away. When you see your child sick and fighting for life you would do anything to protect them from this pain. I prayed like I have never prayed before, I read my bible more then I had ever read it before. One of my nieces come to me at the hospital and told me to read Psalm 136, ‘His mercy endureth for ever’ is repeated 26 times. This Psalm gave me the HOPE the God would show mercy to Jake and to us.
When Jake passed away, for weeks I had little HOPE. For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be without HOPE. I didn’t look past today and tomorrow was too painful. God did show us mercy that day, Jake was in pain, in Gods mercy he look that pain away. Our prayers were not in vain, I believe Jake has found salvation. When Jesus comes my HOPE will be for filled, I will see him again. The HOPE of hugging someone so special, is what keeps me going.
I live in HOPE.
May my story give you HOPE.

Helen Garrett xo

‘Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

So, tomorrow I will wear blue in honour of Jake Garrett, collect donations from work for this wonderful charity, and be thankful my three children are still with me. I can’t think of anything more special than that.

I hope you have a wonderful day and find many things to be thankful. If you are on Facebook please pop over and like the Jake Garret Foundation to show them your support.

PS: I am also so thankful to be sharing my post on Rhianna’s beautiful website “A Parenting Life”.