Skylar’s family mourns loss of another baby

IN a tragic twist, the family of Skylar Lawrence, a two-yearold Territory toddler who died from meningococcal B late last year, has buried another child.

Six-month-old Jordan Braddock died of the same disease in Mount Gambier earlier this month.

Jordan’s devastated parents said the vaccine cost an exorbitant $350, which prompted new calls for it to be available free to all Australian babies.

Skylar’s mum, Sally Lawrence, said Jordan was her cousin’s nephew and grew up in the same town.

“It’s unfortunate that an- other child had to die from this disease,” she said.

“It probably hit my cousin quite a lot – he came up for my daughter’s funeral, and now he has to attend his nephew’s funeral for the same disease.”

Skylar died on October 15 last year after falling victim to the meningococcal bacterial infection.

Ms Lawrence said the two tragic deaths reinforced the fact that state and federal leaders needed to take action urgently.

“Something needs to happen,” she said. “It could save a life. “It’s a real disease. Real families are suffering, children are dying – it’s real, it’s not rare and not uncommon.”

The Lawrence family are now pushing to get meningococcal B on the NT’s immunisation schedule.

Their push has been supported by Jordan’s father, Nathan Braddock, who yester- day called for it to be made e cheaper for families.

“It may be expensive for r the government to do it, but t how many lives would it take before they actually step up?”

Health Minister Natasha Fyles said she took the proposal to include the vaccine to her state and federal counterparts at COAG.

“I will continue to advo- cate,” she said. “The Terri- tory Government has b been advised that the vaccination has previously been considered by the Commonwealth’s independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee for the National Immunisation Program but was not approved.”

“Real families are suffering, children are dying”

ShareacinowithSkylar i is today running a peer support group for families who have experienced grief or the loss of a child at the Palmerston Library Community Room from 2-3pm. b b t day d S Territorian

Picture: KERI MEGELUS Sally Lawrence, of Nakara, with daughter Rhainer, 3. Rhainer's twin sister Skylar died of meningococcal last year and, in a tragic twist of fate, another of their family members, Jordan Braddock (below right), died from the same disease earlier this...