About Us
This story was written by Kyla’s Mum, Candice Scells.
Kyla came into this world on the toilet floor in the Nambour Hospital, weighing 8lb and 6 oz and was 51cm long.
On Saturday 31st October 2009 at 8.35 am after an exhausting night with Phil sleeping on the hospital bed, while I sat up in the chair listening to all the other women who were in the ward at the time, doing their individual noises!
After the usual royal treatment at the Nambour general, and our first visitors, Nan and Pop Scells, Ash, Sammy, Chantelle, Tan and little Lachie, we got out of there as soon as we could. But someone(Kyla’s daddy) had forgotten u needed an extension strap for the Pajero, so Kyla got her first ride home in Tania’s commodore with her Daddy, Tan and Lachie, and I drove the Pajero home with Chantelle. Via the sunshine coast airport to pick up my mum and Pete, much to mums astonishment that I was driving.
Eva soon started smothering and throwing things at Kyla, for example when I couldn’t see Kyla, only to remember I put her in her rocker, but looked over and Eva was in the rocker, and yes Eva was on lying on top of her.
I separated them by the playpen, and Eva didn’t like it that much as she couldn’t touch Kyla anymore so the next best thing, was to throw things into the playpen, and Eva’s aim started getting very good, hitting Kyla in the face nearly each and every time.
After Eva started the elusive ‘pinch and flick’ I would sometimes have to go into Kyla’s room and close the gate with her, just to give Kyla some floor time, leaving Eva the terrible on the other side, having a sooky la la.
Bath time took a little while to get down pat, but once we did it was easy as, bathing Kyla 1st, getting her out. chucking Eva in and drying Kyla while I watched Eva, then sitting Kyla into Eva’s bed, while I got Eva dried. Eva soon got a lot more affectionate, giving Ky-Kla mooshes all the time and they were allowed to sit in the lounge together and watch hi-5 and daisy do.
Eva had school two days a week, where it was a mission just to get her there, only a couple of hundred meters up the road. As I couldn’t sit them in the pram together without Eva tormenting Kyla the whole way.
On the days Eva was at school, Kyla and I would spend our special time together without being poked or prodded, and would at least once a week catch the bus over to Sarah’s, so Kyla and Alyssa could have a play together. We had a lovely first Xmas all together, waking up with both the girls just the four of us, and opening up all our pressies.
February 2010, Daddy took us to the airport giving all three of us very rushed and fast kisses but managed to get each of us a few times, as we were the first ones on and off we went in the plane for Kyla’s first plane flight.
Poppy Pete came to pick us up, and after an hour of trying to get the car seat in the super gas Ute, feeding Kyla and Eva eating all of Pete’s mints, we were off to aunty Kristen and Uncle Geof’s house.
When we got there I bought Kyla in first, to show her off and as usual, cried when I saw Kristen and Bryanna and then Simon. But I think Kristen may have started before me this time, seeing Kyla her 2nd niece for the first time and how big Eva had got. As in just over one year, she had gotten 2 nieces’ after waiting nearly 7 years for the first one. Kyla and Simon had their first sleepover together in Simons room, and funnily enough Kyla and Simon when sat together the same size even though Simon was only six weeks old.
Nan’s special surprise birthday Day came around a few days later and Eva and Kyla had a bath and got ready in their cute dresses, I tried flattening Kyla’s hair, with water and put a cute little headband in. Uncle Geof, Simon, Bryanna, Eva, Kyla and I, walked to the restaurant and a surprised aunty Chloe walked in first and ruined her makeup when she saw Kyla, then Pete went and got nanny shop (Trudy) and she was so excited and most definitely surprised, and literally couldn’t believe her eyes, squinting as she was walking closer.
It was the best birthday surprise lunch ever, and a day we will always hold close to our hearts. That afternoon we went back to my sister’s house packed our stuff so we could go stay at mum’s. We got back to my mum’s, settled in, mum fed Kyla her bottle, I set the two porta cots up, got Eva settled and in bed. Made Kyla do a little wave and said good night to everyone that was there. My mum came into the room to give Kyla a kiss and we said good night. A few hours later my mum checked the girls, all I heard was a scream…
A scream that made my heart sink, a scream that I still hear in my head, a scream that I will never forget. In the hours that followed my world as I knew it fell apart. We were just on a holiday, Kyla’s dad wasn’t there. This was not part of the plan, how could this happen when I had always done the right thing, slept her on her back, kept her safe…..why me? Why our baby? The 12th of April, we finally received her coroner’s report. It was 1 year, 2 months and 9 days we waited to get a piece of paper hoping for answers.
But sometimes there are none, sometimes you can’t control everything no matter how much you try. Thank you for your support and kindness and may the memories of all our precious babies no longer here with us, live on, may we (and others) learn to speak about our precious children. Just because they are not here, doesn’t mean they are not part of our lives.
Trudy’s Story (Kyla’s Nannyshop) On Saturday, October 31st (Halloween) 2009, I was at work, being our biggest day in the party shop all year, and all I had on my mind was, I hope I make it to Queensland the next day for the birth of my 3rd Grandchild, I will be there at lunchtime, later that morning, the phone rang, “Congratulations, you have a new little Granddaughter”, sad I missed her birth, but so excited to meet her tomorrow! The next day I got to hold our little baby girl, Kyla Louise and spent the next few days, with my daughter Candice & her partner Phil and Eva Maree 14 months, I got to bathe, feed & get lots of cuddles with Kyla. Then back to Tassie. February 3rd, 2010, (My Birthday) I planned the day off work, to spend the day with my eldest Daughter Kristen. Mid-morning, I went to the College to pick up Chloe-May’s books, for her first year. Kristen was waiting for me when I got back home, where are we going for lunch? I said. we drove to the hotel near where she lives. We went into the back door, to the pokies area, for around half-hour, and then my Partner Pete walks in, come with me, I have a surprise for you! How did he know that we were there? I replied, is it a Ferrari? Well, I followed him to the restaurant. I walked in behind him and I saw a table of balloons, at the far end of the room, I looked a bit harder, with a squint, is that Candice? I said. Then I saw Eva, walking around the table, Woooooooooo hooooooooo, what a surprise!!!!! There, in one room, were all my Children and my Grandchildren, my little Kyla, had grown so much, she was now 3 months & 3 days old, she was sitting up in her stroller, in a beautiful white & pink tulle dress, and a pink headband in her beautiful curly hair.
Kristen’s husband Geof, Bryanna, baby Simon & Chloe, were there!
This would be the first day we had all been together, it was amazing, Chloe hadn’t met Kyla before either “ they had heaps of hugs & Kyla fell asleep in her arms,” a family photo was taken” It was Candice’s 3rd day in Tasmania, unawares to me, she came for my Birthday! And to see her Pop! Phil had stayed in Queensland to work. Candice & I have a very close bond, I was there for Eva’s whole birth, and missed out, by that one day with Kyla so of course, she wanted to come to my house for the rest of her holiday, she said, Mum, you have to take time off work so we can do some things together with the girls! We went to Kristen’s house, that is where they had been staying since they arrived.
We got all their things together from Kristen’s, then on the way to my house, I drove past the street to my Mum & Dad’s house, I so wanted to call in, to take the girls there, they hadn’t met Kyla yet. I had to get straight home, because my partner’s children, were coming over, and the guys were going to take them swimming.
My parents would be so excited to see the girls! We all got organised, I fed Kyla her nighttime bottle & put her little white grow suit on, while Candice & Chloe set up the room, put up the cots etc. Kristen was organising tea, and making a pavlova, with strawberries and candles. We kissed Eva & put her into her bed, Candy changed Kyla’s nappy, we gave her a kiss and I placed her in her cot. There was a tv on in the room, it was on just a blue screen, for a night light. We had some pizza when the guys returned from swimming.
I peeked in on the girls a few times, Eva was still wiggling around not quite asleep, Candice also peeked in! I sat up at the bench, did a little bookwork, Kristen was doing the finishing touches to the pav, Candy was checking in on the computer, saying she is so happy, catching up with Family at home. My mum called on the phone “Happy Birthday”… I heard Candy is home! No, I said, because I just wanted to surprise her tomorrow! I have a surprise for you though, I will call around tomorrow! The next thing Phil called to say “Happy Birthday”, “ I will come down sometime soon to go to the snow he said. Phil has never seen the snow, being a Queenslander.
I remember so vividly, sitting there I was writing a cheque out, I turned to Candy “ Have you checked on the girls? Thinking now surely Eva, has settled by now!
“Not for a little while”,”That’s ok”, so I made my way, back to the bedroom. Eva was fast to sleep now, I checked Kyla! She had rolled herself over, so I went to roll her back, gently not to wake her, she didn’t feel quite right to me as I was rolling Kyla back onto her back. So I then picked her up out of her cot, there was the light from the TV, looking at our precious baby, I can’t explain, her body was limp, “her little face”, “sorry I can’t describe, my horror” I think I stood there, Kyla was just limp, I screamed with horror, Candice ran into the room, Eva was screaming, Candice took Kyla from my arms!
I just ran steaming from the house! Please God, No, No, No, No! Everyone in the family has their own stories of that painful, heart-wrenching night we lost our little girl. We have since talked to each other about the night our Little Baby Kyla was taken away from us. Kyla was taken to the Hospital by Ambulance, Candice & Kristen went with her, to my understanding, they were trying to bring her back, in my heart I know that it was too late, she was gone. Some person came outside, to talk to me, he was taking heart rates etc… my body was weak, my throat was strained, My mind was heart was a nothing! There were police, men in suits all over my house, people taking notes, people taking photos! Pete drove me to the hospital, the girls were huddled together in a little room, next to emergency, the very room, that I sat in, when I told to get my family together to say goodbye to my dad, not that many weeks ago. Candice was called in by the doctor, we waited for a short while, then we were called in, Candy was sitting on the bed crying, cuddling our Little Baby Girl wrapped in a white hospital blanket, stroking her and kissing every inch of Kyla’s little face, she looked like she was just sleeping, Candice passed her to me, I stroked her little face, and kissed her, she was so cold, I touched her beautiful curls, we all just sat there and cried, as we all held our precious baby girl, then she was taken off us, she was taken to Hobart to the Coroners, that very night. How could I have had the best day ever just a few hours ago? Then be going home from a Hospital without Kyla. How could it be a day off work, and going out to lunch with Kristen, turn into the biggest surprise ever, to have all my girls together, all my Grandchildren together, What? How? WHY? WHAT happened to our Little Baby Girl? HOW did this happen to our Little Baby Girl? WHY did this happen to our Little Baby Girl? It was over 12 months, till the Coroners report came, it said: “We are so sorry for your Family’s loss”. There were no real answers to these questions for us. I am so thankful for the support of my Dearest friends, the Gateway Church, for all the support & meals they bought to our home, SIDS & Kids, for support & assistance in getting Kyla home to Queensland, Debra of Twinkle Toes Hands & Feet, The Tasmanian Police, for picking up Phil, from the airport for us, Maureen the Hospital Chaplin, for all her support to our family, Denise at Pinegrove Funerals & Jan for your Beautiful words… Thank you This is the reason why the foundation is called Kyla’s Foundation, the purpose of the Foundation is to help people who suffer the premature loss of a child like we suffered when we lost our Beautiful Purple Butterfly, Kyla Louise Scells.
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