FROM THE EDITOR

Last year, when Jenny-May Clarkson told us about the severe food allergies her young sons had been diagnosed with, she would have been forgiven for thinking she’d discovered her biggest challenge for the year ahead.

Instead, it was just the first piece of bad news – with the blows she was dealt becoming more heartbreaking. But while it sounds like a rotten 2018, Jenny-May won’t call it her year from hell. She shook her head and wouldn’t have a bar of it when I tried to tell her how strong she is, but really, it does take an incredibly courageous person to find joy and gratitude in the darkest of times – and massive bravery to put your hand up and be frank about the depth of your struggles.

As you’ll read in our cover story, Jenny-May is rising back up, really taking care of herself, and is continually buoyed by the love of her family. The Clarksons are like no family I’ve seen before. You can feel the love whenever you’re near them – they’re incredibly tight. There aren’t many families who holiday with both sets of grandparents, plus Dean’s parents even live under the same roof! It’s beautiful that they all have such close ties and that the grandparents get to spend so much time with their grandkids.

Which reminds me – one of my favourite times of year is back! We’re searching for 2019’s Grandparents of the Year. If you turn to page 26, you’ll find all the details – and it’s worth reading, with $5000 in cash prizes, thanks to our friends at Ryman Healthcare, to be won. Enjoy your week!