Sad milestones for crash orphans
Grieving family honour couple’s memory and rally around young children, writes Audrey Malone.
Sometimes 2-year-old Heath Shortland asks where his mum and dad are.
Tuesday marked what would have been the 29th birthday of his dad, Jesse Shortland.
Jesse died last October in a car crash, alongside wife Samantha, travelling home to Invercargill after attending his father’s funeral in Hokitika. Heath and his little sister Skylar were also in the car, but their injuries were minor.
In a couple of weeks, Skylar turn one.
Samantha and Jesse had moved to New Zealand from Queensland eight weeks before the incident, following her parents, who had moved back to Invercargill earlier in 2017.
The couple were involved in a head-on collision on the DiptonWinton Highway about 9.30pm on will Sunday October 8 2017.
The driver of the other car, 22-year-old German tourist Marina Liebl, also died at the scene.
Jesse’s sister, Krystal-Leigh Shortland, said the family had had a bit of a get-together this week to mark his birthday, including a barbecue and a pavlova.
‘‘We just did things that he would have liked. It was good, but also really sad,’’ she said.
‘‘Personally myself I am struggling with coming to terms that he’s gone.’’
The birthday had been harder than the first Christmas or new year without the couple around, she said.
It was on Jesse’s birthday that all the emotions properly boiled up.
‘‘Look, we are still trying to come to terms with what happened. It’s pretty sad. Not just for us, there was another person also,’’ KrystalLeigh said, referring to Liebl.
‘‘Her family are having to go through all of this too.’’
Heath and Skylar are living in Invercargill with Samantha’s parents. The children are thriving, despite Heath sometimes wanting to see his parents, Krystal-Leigh said.
All the money raised on a Givealittle page, more than $20,000, had been placed into a trust fund for the children to use
I am struggling with coming to terms that he’s gone. Jesse’s sister, Krystal-Leigh Shortland
when they were older.
Krystal-Leigh and Jesse were close.
‘‘Our parents had split up and both had had other kids. We were each other’s main family. We always had each other’s back.’’
Having both her father and her only full-blooded sibling die in short succession had actually brought her and her mother closer together.
‘‘I guess it’s the silver lining. But we have really had to be there for each other through all of this.’’
It was also a reminder to motorists of the dangers, KrystalLeigh said.
‘‘I don’t know how much of a difference it is going to make, but just take care out there.’’
Jesse’s aunt, former NZ First MP Ria Bond, had been due to travel with the couple, and then had changed her mind due to a complication with flights.
Bond is also believed to be helping raise the young children.
The case is still with the coroner.