Meet our 2019 Super Dad winners
While reading the Super Dad nominations, staff at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation and Charlesworth Nuts were truly moved by the family stories received, and the love and support Super Dads give. They truly are amazing men!
From the 80 nominations received it was very hard to choose just one winner and as a result Charlesworth Nuts generously donated a further two Presidential Hampers valued at $99 each!
We are delighted to announce our three Super Dad winners are Mark Eldershaw, Don Ellis and Steven Osborne!
Don with his daughter Sharon.
Don Ellis nominated by his daughter Sharon Rock
My dad is now 83. What a man, what a dad, what a human. Twenty-two years ago, my son was born at 30 weeks weighing just 1.2 kilograms. At the time I also had a seven-year-old at school, a four-year-old at kindy – and a prem at the Hospital. Life was hectic. This man was working full-time but every day on his way home, he would call in and cradle my little man’s face through the holes in the humidity crib for an hour or more, then visit on the weekend too.
To this day when this little man is unwell consolation to him is having his face cradled, even at 22. The bond formed 22 years ago in the Special Care Baby Unit between a man and his grandson is still so strong. He is, has been and will always be there for me and mine. What a dad, what a man, what a human. Truly blessed.
Mark with his daughter Yvette.
Mark Eldershaw nominated by this daughter Yvette Eldershaw
My dad is my true superhero as in 2015 I was told the hardest words of my life – your child has cancer. My dad stepped up to take care of my three remaining children at home while I stayed in hospital with my son for a long heart aching six months.
Then my dad, my hero, stood by my side as I watched my son slowly be taken by the angels back to heaven. My dad still lives with me to help heal my son’s heart. My dad sacrificed his own life and time to raise his grandchildren through the hardest time of our lives. I never had a hero to growing up, but in 2015 I gained two heroes – my dad and my son Tyrone.
Steven and Adrianna with their family.
Steven Osborne nominated by his wife Adrianna Osborne
I’m so lucky that Steve is the father of our four beautiful children. We are not strangers to WCH. Our first-born Jacob was born there in 2009. Then eight years later our identical twin girls, Sofia and Jasmine, were born at 24 weeks. My husband stayed by my side for the worst three days of our lives. Our beautiful baby Jasmine was very unwell, we were told she had a stage four brain bleed and that it had gone into her ventricles.
We had to make the heart-breaking decision to turn her life support machine off. Not only was this the hardest thing to happen to our family, we had to go home and tell our two other children, Jacob and Summar, that their little sister was not coming home. We spent the next four months at the Hospital with Sofia on her Neonatal Intensive Care Unit journey.
It was very hard to keep on going with normal everyday life. Being at Sofia’s beside for six hours a day, meant trying to get the kids to school, football, ballet, washing, cooking and cleaning was challenging, and I also needed to look after my mental health. But Steve was the Super Dad, he took over all the jobs so I could concentrate on Sofia’s health and bring our baby girl home. Sofia came home and it was the best day. Sofia is two now and she has OT, speech, physio and hospital appointments, as well as three operations this year which makes life challenging and very busy. He is our anchor, I don’t know how I could keep on top of everything if he wasn’t here to keep us going and doing extra special dad duties.
He is an amazing father who would do anything for us. There is always a piece missing in our family, but we are so grateful for what we have.