Sydney's lonliest baby girl
AT 19 days old, tiny Lucy Schollbach is Sydney's loneliest baby.
She lies isolated in a humidicrib in the neonatal ward at the Royal Hospital for Women, waiting for the loving touch and soothing voices of her mum and dad.
Tragically, she will never experience them again.
Lucy's parents, Justin Schollbach and Leah James, died instantly in a car accident on Tuesday while driving home from the hospital after visiting Lucy - as they had done twice a day since she was born 12 weeks premature, weighing 1.3kg.
On that awful day, as they had done every day during their daughter's short life, Justin held Lucy close to his chest for a cuddle and Leah gave her a feed with expressed milk.
The couple were a few minutes from their Kurnell house after the hour-long trip home when their V8 Ford ute veered off Captain Cook Drive, crashing into a light pole with such force that it split in half.
Lucy was the first child for Mr Schollbach, 42, and Ms James, 33. Adding to the tragedy, Ms James has five other children aged between six and 15.
Yesterday was the eighth birthday of her son, Stephen, who lived with Ms James. Her extended family tried to put on a brave face as they held a gathering at Taren Point.
I'm happy to have all my brothers and sisters here, but it's sad that Mum can't come, Stephen told The Sunday Telegraph, which met the family yesterday.Stephen's father, Andrew Loxton, said Ms James was a loving person.
Leah was always smiling like a cheshire cat, so happy to be visiting her little baby girl, he said. I'd just like to see that smile again.
Mr Loxton recorded a video of Ms James and Mr Schollbach nursing Lucy for the first time on September 2, when she was one day old.
Provided to The Sunday Telegraph by the family, it shows Mr Schollbach smiling as he softly cradles his daughter, who friends say he named Lucy Ronda Jones Schollbach after his mother, Ronda Jones.
Mr Schollbach's father, Rob, said: Having Lucy changed Justin. It's the happiest I have seen him in his whole life. And now this has happened.
Doctors said Lucy was expected to stay in hospital until November. She is under Department of Community Services care until it is decided who will raise her.
The couple's funeral will be held next week.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydneys-lonliest-baby-girl/story-e6freuy9-1225926004452
What more can be said?
This is terrible.
Poor thing.
