Orphaned children ‘stick together’
Nine children left orphaned after their parents drowned hope to remain living together.
The siblings, aged from 7 to 29 years old, were planning their future after their parents died on Auckland’s west coast.
Mu Thu Pa Ukay and her husband Kay Dah Ukay fell into the sea while fishing from rocks at Muriwai Beach on Monday.
Karen community leader and family spokeswoman, Cicilia Dwe, said the children wanted to stay together, with the second eldest, Dah Htoo, potentially becoming the younger siblings’ caregiver.
‘‘Tomorrow we will start having all the appointments with Winz, filling out the housing and guardianship applications.
‘‘At this stage, today, we are trying to focus on the funeral plan.’’
The parents migrated to New Zealand in 2008 from a Karen community refugee camp on the Thai-myanmar border, eventually settling in Henderson, West Auckland.
Karen people are an ethnic group from Myanmar and number just 1500 in New Zealand.
‘‘The children don’t have extended family for support here,’’ Dwe said.
Dwe said that while people had been generous with offers of support, the younger children still needed help.
‘‘We would really appreciate anyone coming forward to help us with the children’s cases, social workers and counselling as well.
‘‘Help with the children’s welfare would be greatly appreciated.’’
One of the couple’s older children, Chamu, said the siblings missed their parents ‘‘very much’’.
‘‘Now that our parents are no longer
‘‘Now that our parents are no longer with us we’ll have to stick together and help each other out.’’ Chamu
with us we’ll have to stick together and help each other out.’’
The employer of two of the drowning victims’ sons has also set up a Givealittle page to help the family with expenses.
Kevan Hunt said brothers Daniel and Posay Ukay both worked for him at Insulation Warehouse. ‘‘Obviously we have given them whatever time they need but I think it’s great for our community to do everything they can.’’
He said the money raised would go towards funeral costs, possible travel costs if any family members needed to come over, and any other associated costs.
With nine siblings and some quite young, the family needed all the financial support it could get, Hunt said.
Two of the children were fishing with their parents when the pair were swept into the sea on Monday.
Tha Dah Paw and Jay said their father had just hooked a big fish when he was swept into the surf off slippery rocks. His wife tried to save him by holding a fishing rod out to him, while Tha Dah Paw held onto her, but her mother also fell into the water.
Lifeguards and emergency services rushed to the beach and desperately tried to save them, but it was too late.
The siblings were among about 40 people who gathered at Muriwai yesterday morning for a blessing ceremony.