Reader\'s Digest Australia & New Zealand - June 2018

June• 2018 | 71

RRE DR D ESE DIDIGEST

were placed into St Catherine’s, an

orphanage in North Geelong, while

he recovered.

After two years, St Catherine’s

was sold and the children were relo-

cated to homes. My two eldest sisters

moved to a family group home, while

my other sister and I went to live with

our Aunty Betty. A devout Catholic,

Aunty Betty had three adopted chil-

dren. Her daughter, Louise, was my

age and we became great friends.

Aunty Betty worked for the Soci-

ety of St Vincent de Paul and was a

published writer. One day, Aunty

Betty took Louise and me to St Vin-

cent de Paul to help with a big of-

fice clean-up. I was supposed to

put old books into boxes, but I was

health meant she couldn’t care for
us. Over time, I forgave Mum. I also
found comfort in knowing I was her
excuse for leaving the hospital that
weekend, her escape from her pain. 
Mum was a Polish refugee. After
World War II, she was sent to Siberia
in a convoy of cattle trucks with her
mother and sister. From there they
were sent to Africa, before arriving
in Australia. Her father was killed in
Auschwitz. Mum had experienced so
much sadness.
But really, suicide never steals the
life of just one person.
After Mum’s funeral, Dad moved
us to Melbourne where his family
lived. It was here that he suffered
a breakdown, and my sisters and I