Celebrating Caireann
Donation protected
26th July 2011. I remember that day all too well. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the country’s capital, Canberra. We had welcomed our baby girl, our second child. She was perfect and we were the happiest parents. Our girl. We named her Caireann Dawn Gildea. Caireann is the Gaelic name meaning Little Beloved or Little Friend. She grew up proving just that, she was loved, and she gave love, she just wanted to be everyone’s friend. There was a certain type of magic in her. We just knew she was put on this earth to change something; how can anyone be this joyous and caring and not reached great heights.
1st March 2020. The day that will be scarred in my heart and head forever. It started like any other Sunday morning. I got up to make coffee and went into my daughter's room. We had a long day and night on the Saturday. Caireann had attended her Little Athletics during the day, she won the 200m race. She was just a natural born athlete. At night we attended a friend’s wedding anniversary where she got to spend the night with her best friend. It was a perfect Saturday. Knowing she would be tired and we had to attend a birthday party that Sunday, I went into her room before going downstairs to make some coffee and told her not to worry, she can sleep in, we have time. Shortly after she came into the room, screaming that her head was exploding. She sat down on the edge of our bed and told us to call the doctor! We soon realised; this was serious…, she started struggling to breath and turned blue very quickly…., my husband told me to call 000!
The Ambulance and Fire Brigade arrived shortly after. I could not go back into our bedroom and sat in my youngest son's bedroom with my fingers pressed tightly in my ears…, not hearing her cry or waking up was too much to bear…, I didn't want to hear the silence. I could see in their eyes they were not hopeful. Our worst nightmare was happening right here in the house we built together.
Caireann was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital. When we arrived, they had been working on her for two hours…, too long yet they managed to get her heart going but also prepared us for the worst. I remember the social worker coming into the room where I was waiting with the boys telling me “your little girl is a fighter”. I felt some hope. Then one of the paramedics came in, she had tears in her eyes and said, “I’m so sorry”. My hope shattered. A scan revealed that she had suffered a ruptured AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) in her brainstem and there was absolutely nothing that could be done. This time is all a blur. We had social workers, neurosurgeons and someone from the organ donation talking to us. What would we do…? We knew, the type of girl she was, she would want to help others. They managed to keep her heart beating in orderr for us to contact family that lived in Ireland and New Zealand, so they could get here in time to say goodbye.
12.32pm, 3rd March 2020. Our beautiful girl’s heart stopped beating. She was 8 and a half years old. The silver lining, she saved three lives through organ donations. She would be proud of that and we knew that is what she would have wanted.
7th March 2021 will be a celebration of her life. She had danced and played so many times at the Point Cook Pop Up Park. It will also be exactly a year since her funeral. We want to raise funds for Red Nose, Ambulance Victoria, and Point Cook Fire Brigade. The team of paramedics and guys from CFA tried so hard, for so long. They were absolutely unbelievable. The grief counsellors at Red Nose continue to support us and guide us through this time. We know they cannot perform miracles and bring her back, but we hope that with continued support and funding from the community they can continue to save lives and support those who lost a child. We are forever thankful.
AVMs are not very common and hers was even more rare. A bit like Caireann. My husband said there’s a line in a song by Christy Moore, Bees Wing, that always reminded him of her: “She was a rare thing fine as a bee’s wing, so fine a breath of wind might blow her away…”
As well as being a good athlete, Caireann was also a very talented writer. A few days before her funeral I found a piece of her writing that I never saw before. This is the type of girl she was:
“I'm one lucky kid because I have a great family and teacher. They teach me new things every day and care about me so much. I also am a lucky kid because I have such great friends that are inclusive and helpful. They never give up and are very loyal to me. I am grateful for everything I have. I am also grateful for my home, food and money and all the things. I have no disabilities, no sickness, problems and no people that bully me. I can learn properly and see properly. I love everything.” Caireann
1st March 2020. The day that will be scarred in my heart and head forever. It started like any other Sunday morning. I got up to make coffee and went into my daughter's room. We had a long day and night on the Saturday. Caireann had attended her Little Athletics during the day, she won the 200m race. She was just a natural born athlete. At night we attended a friend’s wedding anniversary where she got to spend the night with her best friend. It was a perfect Saturday. Knowing she would be tired and we had to attend a birthday party that Sunday, I went into her room before going downstairs to make some coffee and told her not to worry, she can sleep in, we have time. Shortly after she came into the room, screaming that her head was exploding. She sat down on the edge of our bed and told us to call the doctor! We soon realised; this was serious…, she started struggling to breath and turned blue very quickly…., my husband told me to call 000!
The Ambulance and Fire Brigade arrived shortly after. I could not go back into our bedroom and sat in my youngest son's bedroom with my fingers pressed tightly in my ears…, not hearing her cry or waking up was too much to bear…, I didn't want to hear the silence. I could see in their eyes they were not hopeful. Our worst nightmare was happening right here in the house we built together.
Caireann was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital. When we arrived, they had been working on her for two hours…, too long yet they managed to get her heart going but also prepared us for the worst. I remember the social worker coming into the room where I was waiting with the boys telling me “your little girl is a fighter”. I felt some hope. Then one of the paramedics came in, she had tears in her eyes and said, “I’m so sorry”. My hope shattered. A scan revealed that she had suffered a ruptured AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) in her brainstem and there was absolutely nothing that could be done. This time is all a blur. We had social workers, neurosurgeons and someone from the organ donation talking to us. What would we do…? We knew, the type of girl she was, she would want to help others. They managed to keep her heart beating in orderr for us to contact family that lived in Ireland and New Zealand, so they could get here in time to say goodbye.
12.32pm, 3rd March 2020. Our beautiful girl’s heart stopped beating. She was 8 and a half years old. The silver lining, she saved three lives through organ donations. She would be proud of that and we knew that is what she would have wanted.
7th March 2021 will be a celebration of her life. She had danced and played so many times at the Point Cook Pop Up Park. It will also be exactly a year since her funeral. We want to raise funds for Red Nose, Ambulance Victoria, and Point Cook Fire Brigade. The team of paramedics and guys from CFA tried so hard, for so long. They were absolutely unbelievable. The grief counsellors at Red Nose continue to support us and guide us through this time. We know they cannot perform miracles and bring her back, but we hope that with continued support and funding from the community they can continue to save lives and support those who lost a child. We are forever thankful.
AVMs are not very common and hers was even more rare. A bit like Caireann. My husband said there’s a line in a song by Christy Moore, Bees Wing, that always reminded him of her: “She was a rare thing fine as a bee’s wing, so fine a breath of wind might blow her away…”
As well as being a good athlete, Caireann was also a very talented writer. A few days before her funeral I found a piece of her writing that I never saw before. This is the type of girl she was:“I'm one lucky kid because I have a great family and teacher. They teach me new things every day and care about me so much. I also am a lucky kid because I have such great friends that are inclusive and helpful. They never give up and are very loyal to me. I am grateful for everything I have. I am also grateful for my home, food and money and all the things. I have no disabilities, no sickness, problems and no people that bully me. I can learn properly and see properly. I love everything.” Caireann
Organiser
Kathleen Gildea
Organiser
Cocoroc, VIC