Bear Cottage – United by Talin

Today’s post is dedicated to Gerry Tye who has opened my own eyes as to the importance of Bear Cottage and the need for the community to assist with raising funds for this facility. Bear Cottage is NSW’s only children’s hospice, located on the grounds of St Patrick’s Estate, right next to Manly Beach Sydney. It’s a facility which helps families cope with the impossible; caring for a child with a life-limiting illness. And while this is heartbreaking, the families who visit Bear Cottage say it’s a special place. A place where they can spend quality time with their children. A place where family can gather to receive support in the most vulnerable of times. The ABC recently aired a sensitively portrayed story about Bear Cottage that is worth sharing.

For the special kids that stay at Bear Cottage, there is no happy ending, no miracle cure. This is heartbreaking to think about. But that’s only part of the story. Even though the outlook for these kids is a sad one, Bear Cottage is an inspiring place. Here, children laugh and play. Life is celebrated, lived to its fullest and also fondly remembered.

Being Vulnerable and Reaching Out For Support

Years ago I conceived and established the very first Bandaged Bear Day to raise fund for the Children’s Hospital. How sad I am now that social media wasn’t around then as I am sure the insights I would have shared as the event organiser would have been very different in today’s world, mostly due to the way we can now share and connect. And, to special people like Gerry Tye, who is prepared to be vulnerable to a whole community of ‘stranger’s I suppose, although most of us on Gerry’s  Facebook page would hardly consider ourselves strangers now. Gerry updates his followers through his Facebook daily journal posts about his precious son Talin (who we have written of before). Talin is suffering from a life ending brain tumour. Talin, his mother, father, step dad and brothers are all currently residing at Bear Cottage.

Through Gerry’s daily story many of us mums are given an insight into the complexity of supporting a seriously ill child whilst trying to balance one’s own emotions. Like everyone reading Gerry’s posts most of us have never really thought about the operational complexities required of such a facility as Bear Cottage – art therapy, activities for other siblings, meal times and the community all living together with the same challenging and heart breaking circumstances. It is an emotional roller coaster.

Sadly I think fundraising initiatives for many other causes truly miss the whole insight story opportunity. It is only through that touch of humanness that  we can all identify with and respond to the call to assist. I am truly grateful to Gerry for being so courageous in sharing his vulnerability in such an unimaginable hard time.

According to Bear Cottage’s website families do not pay for any Bear Cottage services and all operating expenses are raised entirely through community donations. It would great if  you could help too and joined Gerry’s fundraising page for Bear Cottage’s needs, United By Talin – and of course a donation or two wouldn’t go astray!  Please say a prayer today for Talin, he is a very special little boy.

Update to this post

Sadly, brave little Talin passed away last month. I was privileged to be among the few invited to attend the after funeral wake, representing some of the thousands of people who had connected with Talin and his family via social media and taken this dear little boy into our hearts and prayers. Unfortunately I was ill and was not able to make what I am told was a very fitting tribute to our much loved little hero, Talin. His Dad, Gerry Tye, will be speaking at the upcoming Healthivate bloggers conference hosted by The Brave Discussion.