Mum's unique send-off for daughter killed while riding in the back of ute
The mum of a girl killed while riding in the tray of a ute has hosted a special send-off for her daughter, refusing to label the day of her funeral anything other than her birthday.
Abbey Forrest was buried on October 7, the same day she was born, after dying exactly a month earlier when a Mazda Bravo driven by an 11-year-old boy spun out of control and rolled into marshland near the Great Northern Highway in Wyndham.
Three other children and the driver walked away with minor injuries.
About 800 people converged on the tiny town’s multi-use hall, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, to honour the 11-year-old’s short but successful life, The West Australian reported.
Speaking with The Kimberly Echo prior to the ceremony, her mum Jessica Forrest explained her focus on celebrating her daughter’s life rather than mourning it.
“I won’t refer to it as anything but her birthday party, I hate the “f” word and everything around it,” she said.
Following formal proceedings, Ms Forrest hosted a party in the family’s backyard with “the same games she always loved to have at her birthday party”, and live streamed it publicly on Facebook.
While not ready to speak of the crash, the mum said she hoped Abbey’s legacy would inspire other children to “live their dreams and make the most of whatever opportunities come about”.
Abbey was remembered as a high-achieving natural leader who excelled in school, offered her time at the Wyndham Youth Aboriginal Corporation, and was presented scholarships at four different boarding schools in Perth.
She was also named the 2019 junior person of the year at an awards night for Aboriginal people the East Kimberley region.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Forrest told relatives, friends and members of the community she believed on the day of her death, Abbey had one of the best times of her life.
She also described the final night she spent with her daughter; they “sat up eating popcorn, telling stories, talking and laughing until past midnight”.
Abbey’s dad, Aboriginal man Francis Lane who lives in Broome, told attendees he was grappling to accept why his daughter was “there in that box”.
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