The magical life of Hazel Tenzing Brooks
Mullman wildlife guide, bushcrafter, adventure seeker and devoted dad Daniel writes: “Hazel Tenzing Brooks was conceived on a full moon on Deborah’s birthday in a very special Bon Po village in the Mustang valley of Nepal - Bon is the indigenous religion of the Tibet region, much like Buddhism.
“This village is a magical place surrounded by snow leopards and caves carved into the hills for meditation and retreats. As we trekked around this stunning desert-like region dotted with emerald jewels that were villages surrounded by irrigated crops of barley, our three-year-old son Oliver toddled alongside us, or was carried in my rucksack.
“Two months later Deb, Oliver and I were back in the UK at a festival called Off Grid. We spotted a Tibetan café selling steamed dumplings called momos and excitedly went to taste some. We were soon joined by a Tibetan guy who was working there. After chatting a little, he asked about our baby - not Oliver, who was playing nearby - but the one growing in Deb’s tummy. Now Deb was only two months pregnant and not showing at all, but he said he could tell from her aura. We told him where ‘it’ was conceived, he knew the village and said it was a very special place. Minutes later he said that a name just came to him, that we should call our child Hazel Tenzing. This freaked us out, because Deborah had also had the name Hazel come to her as a voice in her head a couple of times and she was also in the process of making something at the festival with a piece of hazel that she had asked me to go and cut from the woods nearby. We did not know the sex of the baby, but decided right there and then that Hazel Tenzing it would be, whether it was a girl or a boy.
“Another month or so later, we were visiting Findhorn eco village\community and met a wizardy looking old man walking on the beach. By this time Deb was showing and he immediately pointed it out. We told him where the baby was conceived and then about meeting this Tibetan at the festival and that he had told us we must call our child Hazel Tenzing. ‘Wow’, he replied, ‘well, it’s destiny that I was to meet you then because they call me the hazel man. I collect hazel nuts and sell them to nurseries and look here...’ he reached into his pocket and took out four hazel nuts, ‘I have been carrying these four nuts around in my pocket for a while and was thinking there must be a reason for it, now I know they were meant for you. One for each of you.’ We cracked open the nuts and ate them, one for Oliver, one for me and two for Deb, one for her and the other for Hazel.
“Hazel was born on March 12, 2012. Tenzing, we were told, means ‘wisdom’. A person named Tenzing is the keeper of wisdom.
“Hazel died in our arms at home on February 2 this year from a very rare DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) brain tumour.
“Her life was a magical one from beginning to end and even now, we receive wonderful signs from her. We are extremely grateful for the 11 years we got to spend with her. What a gift. We will treasure those precious memories and will live life even more fully now we have been reminded just how precious it is.
“Exciting adventures beautiful daughter, we miss you soooo much!
“Many thanks and much love to all who helped us and continue to help us in whatever way during this challenging time.” our will