We struggled to find a suitable name. For some time our baby was referred to as 'Brutus No Name' but, given the circumstances, we decided on Jeremy. It was, I believe, entirely on the meaning and that he was God's Gift. I remember looking into his eyes at birth and remarking 'You have been here before.' He proved me right with wisdom beyond his years!

Think of eyes that sparkle bright, think of sunshine, think of light.

Think of things that make you smile, think of Jeremy all the while.

Jeremy
Local origin of name: English
From the Hebrew root name 'Jeremiah'

Meaning:
'Jehovah is high' or 'Jehovah exalts' Book of Jeremiah

Emotional Spectrum:
Sadness is soon overcome by joy with Jeremy

Personal Integrity:
He has a reverence for truth

Personality:
Calm and cool as a cucumber

Relationships:
Many people will find him their best friend

Travel & Leisure:
Can be packed and ready on a moment's notice

Career & Money:
Career choices are easy for Jeremy

Life's Opportunities:
No stranger to hard work, his efforts will be rewarded

You were our greatest treasure - God's gift to us was you

Life was not particularly easy in the early years. We were working almost 15 hours a day, 7 days a week running our new business venture. During this time Jeremy was constantly unwell and screamed frequently with symptoms that the doctors could find no cause for. We spent endless hours in the waiting rooms of doctor's surgeries. He stopped breathing on occasions and was admitted to the Bairnsdale Hospital regularly for the first three years of his life. 

I think it was about this time that I knew our lives were to take a different path. I sought help from a local chiropractor who suggested that Jeremy had not gone through the natural birth process and his little spine was not aligned. Adjustments were made and Vega testing done to determine that he was allergic to wheat, dairy and, in particular chocolate. I knew from the first visit that Don was successful and our lives improved dramatically from then on. There was to be no more laying in bed at night and listening for his breathing, wondering if I would find him blue in his bed in the morning. Our lives were to become more 'normal' from that point.

I suspect that throughout Jeremy's life his need to 'experience life' meant that he did, on occasions, take risks. It would seem that safety to him meant nothing more than the freedom to do things differently.

Jeremy appeared always to want to be master of his own destiny. Raising him was interesting and challenging. It became obvious that we needed to throw away the 'old book' and do things differently. That is probably when I decided to do some research on 'Indigo Children' I learned that children born after 1978 knew instinctively how to push 'psychological buttons'. were headstrong and strong willed. These youngsters were also prone to addiction. When I confronted Jeremy about the dangers of recreational drug use he informed me; 'That's the difference with us Mum, you see it as a problem; I see it as the solution.'

During Jezza's years of 'growing up' it was obvious that he was very intuitive with an understanding that he was guided by angels. It was as a Grade 6 student that he was blessed to have Carmen Allan as his teacher. I have memories of the conversation that I had with Jeremy when he said that he had decided to take Archangel Michael when he received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Mrs Allan and Jeremy had spoken about the need for a powerful Guardian Angel.

Several Times Jeremy felt the presence of angels and, in particular, Michael. There was one occasion that Jeremy felt completely let down by the world, including his Mum. He thought about suicide and when he went to bed that night his Guardian Angel told him that it was not his time; there was nowhere for him to go. I now know that Jeremy came to teach me unconditional love and he had felt that love during his lifetime. Fortunately, he was able to talk to me about his thoughts and together we were able to work through the problem making appropriate decisions. Although Jezz was not necessarily a 'religious' person he believed strongly in his Guardian Angels and he allowed his intuition and his conscience to guide him.

Jeremy was blessed with the ability to be able to confide in me. I remember him telling me how grateful he was that I had provided a secure home environment with unconditional love. He believed that I had taught him right from wrong and given him a conscience. There were occasions over the years that it kept him out of trouble; he would even tell me about these times.

I believe that Michael the Archangel was with Jeremy at the time of his passing. My love and heartfelt thanks will always be with Michael McKenzie who arrived at the scene of the accident and accurately assessed the situation.

We have loved him in life - let us not forget him in death 

Michael observed the gathering of onlookers and the flames beginning to take hold. He began trying to scoop  dirt from the ground to put out the flames. He was then assisted by a bystander who, fortunately, had a fire extinguisher in his vehicle.

When I had the pleasure of meeting Michael and asked him about that time spent with Jezz he told me that he felt that he had been led. As a result, Jezz listened to Michael's jokes. Michael, we were all truly blessed that you provided the security that Jeremy needed as he took his final breath. 

From a very young age Jezza mastered the Pacman game. It therefore came as no surprise to find he loved the challenge of playing war games on the internet and was involved in many 'clans' always with names like 'A1 Criminal" or 'Cardboard Cookie Cutter" He was well respected and known as an amazing friend to many. Even when playing online games his mates felt his true spirit and he often acted as counsellor and advisor as well as friend.

Indigo Children bond easily with plants and animals;pictures of Jeremy over the years often show this. In the year of his Father's death Megan arrived from Victoria with 2 kittens barely old enough to leave their mother. They were a great source of pleasure to the family, particularly Ray who was, at this time, in the terminal stages of his illness. We all enjoyed their antics. Some weeks after Ray's death we arrived home from visiting friends to be greeted by our neighbour with the news that one of the kittens had been hit by a car and killed. The next day Jeremy walked out to where I was washing and said 'Well Mum - now we're even' When asked what he meant he replied 'You lost Dad and I lost Bandit.' He had a real affinity with animals! 

There is no doubt that Jeremy's relationships were based on love; it was his essence! Thank you Sunshine for all that were during your time with us and for what you continue to be now with your constant lessons for living. You will always be loved.

Experiencing life helps these youngsters to learn best. I realised that, at times, Jeremy even created the experiences he needed to help  with the current problem, or where he needed to learn.The Indigo child will size up the situation and then choose their actions based on what they want to experience at the time. As a student in Grade 4 the challenge was to test the teacher who admitted to the class that she could not spell. Amazingly that year Jeremy managed to research and write stories using words not used in everyday conversation. It would have taken the teacher much of her valuable time to look up the correct spelling therefore they went uncorrected. What did Jeremy learn from that experience? I found it amusing!

Jeremy was 7 the year his father was diagnosed with a brain tumour and taken immediately to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne for surgery. Jeremy was great friends with Matthew and Brendan Allen and so Dianne and Arthur took on the onerous task of caring for Jeremy along with their own five children. What a handful! During this time chicken pox went through the household and so poor Dianne had them all home constantly bathing and covering in Calamine Lotion. 

Ray's surgery was successful although he was left paralised down the left side. It was discovered that he also had a tumour in the lung which would require surgery. After Occupational Therapy to get him back on his feet he underwent more surgery for the lung. Jeremy watched his Dad go into hospital a fit, healthy man competing in triathlons, not knowing what was in store. During the 18 weeks that Ray was in hospital Dianne and Arthur undertook the task of bringing him to the Alfred Hospital to visit. I reflect on that period and cannot imagine what it was like for Jezz to see his, once healthy, fit, Dad now confined to a wheelchair and bald as a result of the radiotherapy. 

I remember that it was very difficult for him when we returned to our previous life at the squash court and Jeremy was dealing with the taunts of of school children who observed Ray as unsteady on his feet and walking with a limp after the trauma of surgery; he was now bald and would remain that way.  It was at this time we were blessed to sell the Fitness Centre and move to NSW to allow Ray to spend more time with his ageing Mother. Although we missed our life at the courts we knew, with absolute certainty, that we were no longer able to manage the task and could not rely on Damian who had done such a great job in our absence.

A new school and a new environment exposed Jeremy to more ridicule as his Dad was keen to be involved with his sporting activities, including managing the cricket team. Jeremy was 12 the year his Father died having lived with cancer for 16 years.

It was at this time that we both met my daughter Carla and her son Chris for the first time. As a young, rebellious teenager I had fallen pregnant as a 16 year old. My widowed Mother had no way of supporting or caring for a daughter and a new baby, nor did she wish to.  Carla had been given up at birth and was adopted by a loving family. Although we were advised by Social Workers on a protocol for meeting, we broke the rules and the four of us met at Darling Harbour in Sydney. Amazingly, before the scheduled time, Jezz said to me 'Mum I have just seen Carla and Chris.' Yes! He had noticed them going towards the toilets. I could not believe that he had recognised them as, at that time we knew very little about them. We shared many 'firsts' on that day. It was great to feel that we had discovered 'new' family members and could look forward to introducing them. It was interesting to see the way Jeremy was able to explore and learn from new experiences. He was always such a 'fun' person. Life was never boring having him around.

Carla remembers one of her first visits. Staying with us at our home in Warners Bay she went into the bedroom to have an afternoon rest. She was annoyed by the rattling of the venetian blinds and decided to close the window, only to find the blinds still rattled. After a couple of inspections she heard laughter. It was then she discovered that Jeremy had attached fishing wire to the blinds and, of course, each time he gave a tug the blinds rattled. The house was always filled with fun and laughter when Jeremy was present, or even when he telephoned.

Jeremy, who had a real fear of cancer,  showed maturity way beyond his years when, in 2002 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a malignant melanoma removed in 1996 and was aware of the potential for melanoma cells in the breast. He made the decision to move out of home saying to me 'Mum, I will have to move out. If I stay here you will continue to do everything for me and I want you to do it for yourself then I know you will be well.' He was very proud of the fact that I remained well and optimistic and enjoyed the benefits of choosing complimentary and alternate therapies. I decided on that day that I would never leave my youngest son an orphan. It never occurred to me that he would be taken from me so tragically and I would be living with my grief.

Jeremy did not really understand the earthly preoccupation with education and training for a job although he loved working for his boss. Apparently Nudge found it difficult to be too cross with him even when he was found to be acting the fool when he was supposed to be working as was the case on the day of Jeremy's accident. Apparently Nudge had given him responsibility in his absence and returned to find Jeremy fooling around. It seems it did not take Nudge long to laugh at the situation. I am very grateful to Nudge and his family who took him on as one of their own and a strong bond developed.

I think about the morning on 1 September 2006 with a text msg sent at 5.05am to say 'just wanna tell you that i love u.' I later learned that Jeremy had a dreadful headache throughout the night. He also had a dream. He dreamed that he was killed in a car accident with his special friend Adam Cameron. He could not use his mobile to call me and tell me that he loved me as his teeth were pushed in and he had blood coming out of his mouth and could not talk. Rod took Jezz to the Bairnsdale Hospital where a scan was done to rule out meningitis. I remember Jeremy's comment 'At least I know that I do not have a brain tumour.' His fear! Although it did not stop him using his mobile phone. I know! I paid the bills! I missed him dreadfully when he went to Victoria and called him regularly. He was always very patient with me. After almost 2 years of regular calls and messages to him I commented that it is time I 'let go' and save the money paid to Telstra. He very gently said to me 'I was wondering how long it would take you to work that out Mum'. Yes! He knew many of the answers long before I could work out the questions.

I remember my distress at the time of Jeremy's dream. I talked to him and reminded him that I believed he was 'Divinely protected' and that his God would take care of him. Haydn, who sensed my concern offered him a job at Purecab. He could return to the Lake Macquarie region and we would assist him with accommodation etc. His reply! 'Tell Haydn thanks Mum, but I have made a life here. This is where my friends are.' I am now left to reflect on this period and ask myself if I had done things differently would the outcome have been the same.Would he have wanted me to get in the car and drive to Victoria to protect him? No! I miss my phone calls and text messages, especially so because they always began 'Good Morning Oh Beautiful Mother of Mine.' Jeremy's Spirit is ever present and I know that we will, one day, be reunited in heaven. In the meantime I have work to do here and, although I look forward to our meeting, I look to the words of the Lord's Prayer - 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5: 22-23

I loved my early morning phone calls and text messages; there was always something to laugh about. The morning of Jeremy's accident I received one of my usual messages beginning 'Good morning oh beautiful Mother of mine.' Of course I immediately brought his number up on my mobile and we had an amazing conversation in which he told me he planned to have his hair cut and coloured on the Thursday night after work. Some chick had said to him 'What's with the hair, dude?' He only needed the slightest interest to be shown in him and he was away. Life was so good for him at that time. He told me about plans to go to Melbourne with his boss Nudge and the other boys prior to Christmas. He jokingly said to me 'Mum, I am the chick magnet!"

Jeremy's lesson for life was:

Dance as though no one is watching

Sing as if no one is listening

Live as though heaven is on earth

Love as though you have never been hurt

It was 10.06pm on 21 November when the phone call came from Jeremy's brother Damian in Melbourne. I had been feeling very unsettled and had gone to bed just after 7.30pm. Unable to sleep, had continually said to myself 'just close your eyes Cheryl'. I lay there for over two hours. Although Damian was over 300km from Bairnsdale he had been given the news that there had been an accident involving Jeremy. Damian 'My Rock' and the beautiful Tyneal made the phone calls to determine the situation before calling me. In the meantime my mobile was ringing with Megan on the other end. Megan, as next of kin, was given the task of identifying the body; the pain of seeing her adored younger  brother almost too much to bear. How quickly news of tragedy travels! I remember very little about that phone call. I felt absolutely shattered! I sat numb in the chair in the play room. It was at this time that I saw Jeremy's Dad, Ray, take his 'Miracle Child' into his arms. There is a peace in knowing that he is with his Dad and his Heavenly Father.

Damian and Tyneal, both employees of Tobin Bros in Melbourne, suggested that Tobin Bros do the Service to Commemorate Jeremy's Life and to Mourn His Passing. I felt immediately that I was supported lovingly by 'Big Bro' who knew the industry so well and, although it was always going to be more difficult to make plans for his younger brother, it would all come together as a true celebration. 

Damian nominated Megan to do the music; it was obvious that Jezz had a hand in bringing the family together to bid farewell to his worldly body.  My gratitude to my beautiful Damian and the lovely Tyneal who, in the work van, collected Jeremy's body from the Bairnsdale Hospital. How difficult this task must have been!  We talked about the possibility of playing 'Snoop Dogg' music on the way back to Melbourne.

Tyneal's Dad, Mark, a Civil Celebrant was happy to travel the distance to perform the ceremony. This really was becoming a 'Family Affair'. Felt Jezza's approval!

A large crowd gathered at the Riviera Christian Centre at 1.30pm on Tuesday 28 November 2006. Mark guided us in the Celebration of Life Ceremony. Yellow Smiley Faces were handed out along with 'Touched by the Road Toll' Bumber Stickers.
There was family participation with Brad Bennett singing Time of Your Life - Green Day
Forever Young - Youth Group played during the Audio Visual Display as we wept and laughed at pictures of Jeremy taken over the years.
Claire chose to sing You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder knowing that Jeremy was exactly that.
I was given the words You Are So Beautiful; I had a sense that Jeremy was letting me know that was his message to me so we used the song of the same title - Joe Cocker as a farewell
The Eulogy and readings were done by Megan, Carla, Monique and Adam and I read the verse A Child Loaned.
The most amazing thing happened as the hearse left the Centre. There was a spontaneous 'Jezza' with fists punching the air as the hearse left Pearson Street. It was absolutely awesome!!! A tribute to a true champion of the human race!

But when the journey finally ends, we'll claim a great reward

And find an everlasting peace, together with the Lord

I now know that several of Jeremy's friends went to their local tattoo parlour and had  'JEZZA' imprinted. Memories for a lifetime! At 60 years of age I am now going to have a butterfly tattoo in memory of the Sunshine of my life. Jezz would be smiling at the thought!!

Christmas and New came and went with me feeling isolated and alone. Jeremy knew! Early on New Years Day I was in the kitchen my mobile phone which was on the bench lit up. I waited for the much anticipated ring. It did not ring. I walked to pick up the phone and to my amazement Jeremy Mob was highlighted. We have no idea where his mobile phone is. I still send him text messages reminding him of my love.

Where to now? Jeremy tells me that 'we could not both live; that he must die so that I can live.' I have thought about this constantly. After 10 months I think I have worked it out. He says 'Mum, you are soo..slow!' I now have another breast lump with activity in the lymph nodes. Jeremy has stepped aside with the words 'Mum, this is a journey you must make alone'. I will not let you down Jezz because I would be letting myself down. Although Haydn says I had to have a mastectomy to get you off the breast I know that our relationship was so much more. Thank you for being my 'Spiritual Guide' and connecting with me in a way that only you could. I will be forever grateful for all that you are and the wonderful memories of a love shared.

Be at peace gorgeous! Thank you for reminding me, as necessary, that you were not mine to keep.

Please help us to honour Jeremy's memory by taking the time to light a candle or leave a tribute when visiting this site.
Jezz led by example; his essence love. This site is an act of love to keep his memory alive.

Thank you for visiting. Cheryl