Mrs GASH (9:56 AM) —There is only one thing more heart-rending than the vibrancy of youth being stolen by death—that is, knowing beforehand that it is going to happen. You stand and wait for the inevitable moment, hoping that somehow there will be a salvation, but that never comes. ‘Yurana’ is an Aboriginal word for ‘loving’, and in Ulladulla we have given this name to a series of houses that have been set aside to be used as holiday homes for kids with a terminal illness. Yurana’s first home was opened in July 1988 by 10-year-old Kate Critchlow, herself a victim of cancer. Kate died shortly after, in September, knowing that the house—later known as Kate’s House, in celebration of her life—would provide many children and their families with a holiday which would be a welcome relief away from the rigorous rounds of hospital routines and treatments.

Since then, the management committee has continued fundraising and Yurana now has a Luke’s House in Burrill Lake plus two more in Ulladulla, known as Laird House and Amber’s House. This fundraising is a continuing process as the committee works hard to give more and more kids and their families a final chance at happiness in their lives. However, for some unknown reason, they have had difficulties filling the vacancies. You would have thought that people would have been anxious to take advantage of the opportunity offered, at no cost to the family, but the opposite is occurring. I do not know whether there has not been enough publicity and therefore people do not know enough about Yurana and their four houses, but I do know that these homes are there to be used. All that is required is a referral from a doctor. Ulladulla is a beautiful setting, and I am quite proud of the fact that it is in my electorate. I would recommend the location to anyone contemplating a holiday on the South Coast.

What I would like to do is draw members’ attention to the Yurana Cancer Kid’s Holiday Homes in the hope that they would promote the facilities throughout their electorates so that children with a terminal illness can enjoy the few days that have been given to them. I should add that Yurana is not limited to children with cancer but is open to any child with a terminal illness.

Yurana is but one of many similar services available for children with cancer, and I am truly grateful that there are so many in our country wanting to bring a little sunshine into otherwise darkened lives. I suppose I am more surprised than disappointed that these units cannot be filled, and I would genuinely like to know why. However, I would like to take this opportunity to pay homage to the many individuals who work for kids with cancer, because it takes a special kind of person, with a big heart, to give a little to these children and their families. The invisible, non-publicity seeking people who run Yurana are to my mind unique, and I would love very much to see their efforts being rewarded with more children and their families coming to Ulladulla and enjoying a holiday together. Let us work to make some of their wishes come true. Mr Maurie Bates, vice president, and his committee would love to hear from members and families in order to offer those children who are terminally ill a chance to be with their families in a holiday setting that offers so much.