MIXED EMOTIONS FOR FATHER’S DAY
WAYDE Kelly isn’t going to have your typical Father’s Day tomorrow.
It’s going to be bittersweet and full of emotion but nowhere near as hard as Mother’s Day.
That was when his fiancee Kymberlie Shepherd should have celebrated being a new mum, wrapped up in the joy of baby boy Kyden, born in October last year.
Now 10 months, the beautiful blue-eyed bub never got to know his mum but still has her eyes and little traits that his dad recognises as hers.
“A couple of the little things he does, occasionally they’ll be something that make me think he looks like Kymmy,” Mr Kelly said.
“He’s such a happy baby and pretty much always smiling.”
Kymmy, as she was affectionately known, died during childbirth after suffering a rare but serious amniotic fluid embolism that occurs when amniotic fluid – which surrounds a baby in the uterus during pregnancy – or foetal material enters the maternal bloodstream.
The 26-year-old had set up the nursery in their Perth home and had his name picked out, soaking up the joy of being pregnant since she found out.
After the tragic event, Mr Kelly moved back to the Coast to be supported by their family, who take care of Kyden part-time during the week so he can continue doing the work he loves as a development officer for the National Rugby League. The sports lover has had Kyden at the footy field already, dressing him in any of his 10 baby jerseys and taking him along to games when he plays first grade for Mullumbimby.
Tomorrow will be no different when they go to watch a game and Mr Kelly doesn’t want to make a fuss.
“Obviously, it’s very bitter sweet,” he said. “It’ll be very low key. I didn’t want to make too much of a deal.
“Those milestone things do make you think about it and Mother’s Day was really hard, my birthday in January when she had told me she was pregnant, but we hadn’t planned anything for this one.
“Mother’s Day was hard because it makes you think about what it’s going to be like when he’s at school.”
After Kymmy’s death, communities on the Coast and in Perth, as well as sporting clubs across the country, got behind the dad who had to step up to take care of his son without a mother.
Ever since, he has been raising awareness for the little-known condition that killed Kymmy.