Don't want it to be so  / Daddy
Belle, after two years of being without you I still feel the same panic when I allow myself to think about what your death means. There are some places in my mind that I just can't go; if I do, it feels like I've fallen in a bottomless pit. I can still smile when I talk about you to other people, but that's because I keep my thinking at a surface level. My pain at your loss is a frightening thing. Thank you for giving me three and three quarter years of love. I will try to make it stretch for the rest of my life. Close

Bella Boo  / Madeleine (Belle's Sister )
Hello my Bella boo

I am always thinking of you, even
in my sleep!

I cant say how much I love you it would take a 100000000000000 years.

I miss you so much!

Their is a song from Hannah Montana called 'I Miss You' I always listen to it because it reminds me about all the happy things that we did together as a family.

I love you xxxxxxxxxxxx! Close

Please give me sweet kisses in my sleep  / Mummy

Today marks two years sweet girl and Daddy and I miss you the same as the first hours that you left.  Our hearts are broken with missing you and we are not the same Mummy and Daddy you left. 

We try darling, to get up and make it look like we are the 'old us' but without you we could never be.

Maddy misses you so much and still sleeps with your blanket tucked under her arms each night.  It is beautiful and sad all at the same time.

I feel you walking beside me and you know I still tell you all the important going on's.  It just hurts sweetie, hurts so much.  Mason is growing so big and boy does he look like you.  Cut from the same mold you two are.  I joke we could put him in a dress and he would look just like your baby photo's.

Thank you for looking after him during his first big surgery, you were whispering in his ear, I am sure of that.

How on earth can two years slip by my love, how can we do any more?  It seems and impossible mountain.

All I can do tonight as I get ready for bed is wish you would send me kisses in my sleep.

Love you to Pluto and Back bella boo xxxxxx

Mummy

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Friends / Britney Hynds (Friend)

To dear Belle

Another year has passed

It really isn't fair

The world goes on

The days are long

Without you smiling there.

Sweet Bella is an angel

Flying high and free

It's just not fair

That your not there

To come and play with me.

I hope you know I miss you

I think of you each day

Your smiling face

Your warm embrace

Your very special way.

I miss you, miss you, miss you

You know I always will

My mummy says I was lucky

To have a friend like you.

 

Rest peacefully Belle

I miss you love Britney xxxx

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Thinking of you Belle  / Vanessa Muscat (Mummy's Friend )

Hi sweet girl.

I have not stopped thinking about you today ~ or about your family. How do they cope? How they must miss you desperately. How wrong it all is.

Belle ~ you have touched the lives of so many, including me.

Love to you, Mummy, Daddy and Maddy (and of course little Mason :) )

xxxxx

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Thoughts of you  / Kathy /Britney Hynds (Friend)

It's Easter day Belle, a day when you should have been having a hunt out in the garden just like me.

Please help your family be strong now and over the next few weeks, it's not fair that they have two anniversary days to battle through.

We hope you had an egg hunt with the angels in the pretty gardens in heaven. We are thinking of your mummy , daddy,maddy and now mason, whom is a very handsom young man.

You should be proud of your family Belle, they have accomplished so much in your name while in so much pain. They have done so much for the Parents and children of Australia.

You are never far from our thoughts Belle.

love Kathy & Britney

 

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God Bless you for sharing your story  / Amy Whiddon
As I sit here crying, thinking of the pain you suffer every day over the loss of your precious daughter Belle, I also sit her THANKING YOU for sharing your story.  My 3 year old is using a booster seat.  After hearing Belle's story I went online and purchased a Britax Regent 5 point harness seat... sure they are more expensive than others but there is NO PRICE on the life of our children.  I'm just glad that because you shared your story, I hopefully will never have to suffer as you have.  I offer you my heartfelt condolences and prayers.  God Bless You for sharing your heart wrenching story with others. Close

tears / Angie Weinert

I found Isabelle's page thru my Sisters blog tonight. To be honest, since we lost Ava, I can't bare to look at other memorials because I guess I am overwhelmed with sadness and confusion at how our precious gifts are taken so soon. I did however, feel compelled to read all of Isabelle's memorial - and as difficult as it is, I feel that her life needs to be acknowleged and honoured. Its a huge moment for you both as her parents to see that changes have been made to ensure that what happened to your darling girl - won't happen to another child.

Bitter sweet does not even touch on how it must feel, but youre angel has changed our world.

I wish I could reach out and touch your hands and somehow tell you something that would make a difference.

Without knowing you - I am proud of you. Overwhelmed with sadness yet so proud of your strength.

Love to your whole family, especially Isabelle.

 

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Bless you  / Tammy Stephens
I'm so sorry for your loss....becuase of Isabelle and Kyle my children are now in 5 point harness booster car seats.I'm so sorry you had to lose your baby girl...and I'm sure you realize how many people your story has helped...It makes us be so much more aware than what we were before.God bless you...you will see her again. Close

Changes for you  / Britney Hynds (Friend)

 Well Belle, they did it for you. Your Mummy and Daddy made a big difference. The laws will change and lots of other children will be saved.

Why it took this to happen before any one took the step is not fair. But your mummy and daddy fought with their pain to change things and it worked.

We are so proud of them and we know you are to. All your friends miss you everyday and wish you could be back with us again..

we hope you are happy dancing with the angels amongst the butterflies in heaven and hope you watch over us all and help keep us safe..

The families of Australia owe you and your family a great deal Belle.

We miss you Love Britney xxxxx

 

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So sorry for you..  / Colleen
I  feel so saddened for you. Isabelle was such a beautiful girl... I can see why she lit up a room. My reason for writing is to let you know, that on reading about Isabelle, we have just put our 3 1/2 y.o back in his harness (don't know why we stopped using it). I am sure that some good will come of Isabelle's sudden death. Hoping that all the wonderful memories of your BEAUTIFUL daughter fill your days, not sadness. Close

your words are so true  / Janelle Littlechild (Mother of angel Alex )

I couldn't help but smile and cry at the same time after reading your words below. My little boy drowned last year and your word echo exactly how I feel, in some ways it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one going through this pain in this way, its so hard to know what is right and wrong when the only people telling you what you should be doing, have never been through it, and I hope with all of my heart they never have to, or they too will know that you never get over it and it doesn't get easier with time, you just learn to cry at night!

I have looked at your web site and think what you and all associated with you are doing it just fantastic, and I hope that it prevents families from having to suffer the loss of a child, because it seem to be all the things that you didn't get time to do that stick with you, the regrets and the lost memories that will never be.

I wish you all the strength in the world to help your little boy, and i hope that one day life seems peaceful and you can once again relax

love, wishes, courage and strength to you and your family

Janelle

mother of the sweetest little angel Alex

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growing up  / Brity Hynds (Friend)

 Hi Belle,

Well I had my first 2 days of big school, it was a big change to little school. Mum says I'm growing up and it is all going to fast for her now. She said when she left me sitting in the kinder class room, she knew the innocence of preschool days were over and I was on my way to becoming a young lady. She said she was happy but sad at the same time. I only wish that you could have had the same experience with your mum and dad I know it must have been very hard for them. 

I miss you so much, hope you are happy flying with the angels.

love Britney xxxx Close

My First Day at School  / Inari (Best Friend )
Hello my Bella,

I wanted to tell you about my first day at school.

My teachers name is Miss Mizzi, Alex is in my class.  I don't really know anyone else, but I am trying to make new friends.

I played with Alyssa at recess, I played wit the big girls at lunchtime.  I poked Maddy in the eye, I didn't mean to hurt her, I just got excited, I am very sorry about it... I made her a present to make up for it.

My first day was very good, it would have been better if you were there.  We would have loved to play inthe playground together.

I was very nervous when I first got to school, I would have loved to see your face and hold your hand.

I think today might be a bit easier, but I will find out soon!

I hope you are having a good day wherever you are, miss you lots.  I give Mason lots of kisses for you...

Lots of love and huggles
Narsy
xxxxx Close

What should be....  / Mummy
Today angel girl should be your very first day at school.  I am full of missing today and could imagine you running through the gate this morning and being shy of your new surroundings.  You would have looked beautiful, you would have made lots of lovely friends.   My heart is breaking.

Our world no longer resembles the one we knew and our hearts will never be the same. 

I miss you sweet one and wish it was all very different.

Love you,

Mummy Close

Losing you  / MUmmy
Sweet angel girl. I sit here today and all I can do is miss you and wish for you.  It doesn't get easier baby and I wonder how I can be away from you forever. I don't think I can ever express with the right words the way it feels to not have you here.

I cry but it's never enough. I fight for you and it's never enough.  I talk about you and honour you but that isn't enough. There is no end I think to this. Sometimes I hear that it never gets easier - from people who know the pain - and I think I understand now.

Sometimes people think we should move on, to be 'over it' and what I think they don't understand is that we died that day too.  The people we were died with Isabelle and went with her. We won't ever be the people we were because she left us and took our hearts with her.

I never want people to know our pain. I never even want people to spend time imagining it because it is so, so awful. I wonder sometimes if our pain has a limit and I think today it doesn't.  When people wonder why we don't do things they think we should be able to do by now, I think they couldn't possibly understand the magnitude of what has happened. Everything is harder, everything we do has a beauty missing. Every dinner time, every bath time, every bed time, every breath I take is painful with the missing.

Isabelle was our child, she meant more to us than we could ever show people and she was here for three wonderful years. Surely people can see that three years is long enough to capture our hearts and way too short to leave.

Our daughter died and there is nothing that can heal that.  Every time we are burdened with more pain we only sink lower into the blackness. She was sucked out of our life and we were forced to say goodbye. There is nothing that can be done to make that ok. We seek some peace but it keeps getting moved on us. 

She should be starting school this January and whilst the world keeps moving for eveyone else it has stopped for us.

We grieve for her and we are lucky if we get up each day; the rest we achieve is a bonus. I once knew a woman who lost her baby to drowning and she took to alcohol and drugs to numb that pain; she then lost her other three children because she could no longer care for them. We strive every day to stay on this side of sanity and not resort to measures like that. When the anger and hurt came we channelled it into saving others. It never was about us as a family or us personally, it was about righting the injustice that Isabelle suffered, it was about expressing my rage as her mummy for being given wrong information. It was Isabelle's gift to others, not us. It was her story, not ours. It was her messagge for every other child in danger. It meant every person passing the laws and reviewing the standards knew her story, knew what was at stake and knew what the cost was. It was never about us; it has always been Belle's lagacy.

Our pain is real and we don't get a choice.

Our new sweet baby boy brings us new hope in the way that only a new life can. My pain doesn't ease but he creates new love and new possibilties. He suffers though; each day we have to remove tape from his poor little face to remove and clean his mouth plate that he needs to bring his palate closer together.  He screams and my heart hurts so badly. No parent wants their child to be in pain and we hate having to do it. The next six months means surgeries, tapes, plates and tears all round. Why more pain? We know that - long term - his life will be wonderous. We simply do the best we can.

We weren't given a book on 'effective grieving'; we just struggle through, making mistakes and getting some things right but never losing sight of honouring Belle and keeping the love flowing.

Missing you angel: send your brother your love, my angel - he has it tough right now. Close

Message of Condolence  / Erin Healy (old swimming teacher of madeline & isabelle )
Dear danielle and broadhead family, 

I used to teach madeline ( and isabelle, i think, when she was a very small baby) to swim at SMART Swim School in West Wollongong a few years ago.  

I remember hearing about the accident last year and feeling a deep sadness for the family that it happened to.
I only just found out today (december 15, 2008) after seeing the Mercury that it was your isabelle.  

I had tears in my eyes reading about that horrible day and just wanted to let you guys know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Love Erin Close

A graduation not the same  / Britney Hynds (Friend)
 Well Belle, the time has come for me and the others to graduate from pre-school. 

I am very sad that you can't be there to share the day and graduate to.  

you will be in my heart as always but especially tomorrow as it is such a special day of moving on and growing up.

I miss you so much and hope that you will be looking down on us tomorrow to watch our special day.

I know that the teachers are sad that you can't be here to. 

Mummy is going to send a picture to your mummy, so she can be part of it to.

Not long now till your new brother will arrive, I bet he will be just beautiful, I want a new baby but my mum says she is to old and cranky now to have another baby.( what a shame).

Take care of your family Belle, send them lots of angel love, and remember to have a look tomorrow if you can...

I miss you always love Britney. xxxxxxx Close

My prayers and condolences are with you!!  / Cathy Giraud ((Mom to David Giraud) )
What a precious little girl. I am so sorry for your loss. We lost our olderst son April 21, 2006. But he was 32 years old, and we have all the memories. It must be so hard, when they are so very young.
You also have wonderful memories, as told in Isabelle's legacy.
You and your family are in my prayers daily. Close