In the final days, Amy’ s strength never wavered. When she struggled to breathe, she asked her mother to sing‘ Jesus Loves Me’, her childhood lullaby. For hours, Raewyn hummed softly as Amy fought to hold on.

Eventually, Amy made the decision to be put on a ventilator. Those final moments, though devastating, were filled with love. Amy spoke to her family, each exchange becoming a lasting gift. She remained on the ventilator for ten days before her family, guided by love and faith, made the heartbreaking decision to let her go.

“ She gave us strength,” Raewyn says.“ Even at the end.”

Amy passed away in October 2021, seven months after her diagnosis. In the wake of her loss, grief came in waves. For the first year, Raewyn relied on her training as a chaplain, supporting others while navigating her own pain. But in the second year, grief became overwhelming.

“ I didn’ t know how to get out of bed,” she admits.

It was in that place of deep sorrow that something shifted. While sitting in her garden one morning, she prayed, asking for help and felt a prompting a quiet but clear message that Raewyn felt came from Amy. She was told to‘ find the joy’. That moment sparked the beginning of what would become 21 Gifts: A Sacred Dance Through Grief and Healing.

Realising that Amy would have turned 21 that year, and that it was 21 days until another significant anniversary, Raewyn set

herself a simple task: each day, for 21 days, she would write down one lesson Amy had left behind. She chose to share those lessons on Facebook as a way to deal with her grief and at the time didn’ t even read the comments people were leaving on her posts.

“ I did it to survive,” she says.“ For the next 21 days I decided I would make myself get up and talk about the wisdom she had gifted me. It made me get out of bed and write down what she had said to us during the 7 months she was ill.”

What emerged were 21 powerful reflections, truths Amy had lived and spoken during that time. Phrases like“ Do it afraid” and“ Worry is a waste of time” became mantra’ s, not only for Raewyn but for others who began to read and share her words.

Encouraged by the response, Raewyn began to expand these reflections into a book. Drawing from her journals, memories, and even the structure of Amy’ s funeral service, which she had carefully planned as a tribute to her daughter’ s life, she created a deeply personal and reflective work. Raewyn explained how she began to pull together the 21 posts into a more cohesive structure to help herself and other dealing with grief.

“ Our worship leader had sent me a worship song for 57 days and I started listening to these songs again. As I listened to them I started to write Amy’ s version of her story. Then I wrote from my perspective as her mother and another section from my point of view of as a chaplain, so it ended

WEDNESDAY PASTA NIGHT

spaghetti bolognaise linguini boscaiola gnocchi pomodoro fettuccine al basilico all’ ortolana linguini paesano linguini spinach pasta spahetti marinara

THURSDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

BUY ONE MAIN, GET THE SECOND MAIN HALF PRICE

SECOND MAIN TO BE THE LESSER VALUE

BOOKINGS 0468 388 176 44 Riverstone Parade RIVERSTONE

WORTH OF PRIZES FOR MUM!

THURSDAY 7 MAY

Tickets on sale from 6pm Draw Commences 7.30pm 6 Number for $ 1

23 Market Street, Riverstone

$ 2,500 worth of PANDORA to be won!

MEMBERS ONLY DRAWN SUNDAY 10 MAY | 5PM

For full T & Cs see Duty Manager. TP / 01460

TRADING HOURS MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY 10am – Midnight FRIDAY 10am – 3am SATURDAY 10am – 3am SUNDAY 10am – Midnight

up as 3 points of view from each gift.” Each chapter became part of a larger narrative, woven together with music, faith, and the metaphor of dance a fitting tribute to Amy’ s life.

“ The idea of a sacred dance came from Amy,” Raewyn explains.“ Grief isn’ t something you get over. It’ s something you move with.”

The writing process was not easy. It required revisiting pain, reworking memories, and, importantly, ensuring the story was told from a place of healing rather than raw grief.

“ I rewrote it three times,” she says.“ I needed to make sure it could help others, not just express my pain.”

Today, the book is reaching readers both in Australia and internationally, offering comfort to those navigating their own journeys of loss. Designed as a reflective companion, it invites readers to pause, to consider, and to find their own meaning within its pages.

“ It’ s not about telling people what to do,” Raewyn says.“ It’ s about helping them discover what they need.”

Amy’ s legacy extends beyond the book. Through the Amy Elsegood Legacy Scholarship, her passion for dance continues to support young performers, ensuring that her love for the art form lives on.

For Raewyn, healing is not about moving on but moving forward carrying Amy with her in new ways.

“ She lives in my heart and memory,” she says.“ And in the ocean.”

Raewyn’ s daughter Amy, who lost her battle with severe aplastic anaemia in 2021.

In one of the family’ s most meaningful tributes, Amy’ s ashes were placed in a biodegradable turtle and released into the sea at a place she loved. The sea has since become a sacred connection point for Raewyn, if she is near the sea she can stand, toes in the water, and feel close to her daughter.

In time, Raewyn travelled to Hawaii, to meet Amy’ s older sister fulfilling one of Amy’ s dreams. They organised ways to honour Amy in ways that were special to them and once they had done them, moved on to find peace and even joy.

“ Now we have to live life to the full,” Raewyn says.“ That’ s what she would want.”

As she prepares to share her story more widely, Raewyn carries both grief and gratitude. The pain of loss remains, but so too does the profound sense of purpose in the gifts that Amy left behind.

If Amy could see the impact of her story today, her mother believes she would simply smile.“ She’ d be dancing,” she says. You can find 21 Gifts: A Sacred Dance Through Grief and Healing by Raewyn Elsegood wherever you buy your books.

B U F F E T L U N C H & S H O W

DOORS 11. 30AM SHOW 1PM

DOORS 9PM. FREE SHOW

Australia’ s Leading Tribute Show to

JOHN FOGHERTY & CCR

Riverstone Schofields Memorial Club practice responsible service of alcohol. For full T & Cs for any promotion or event please see the Duty Manager.

ENTERTAINMENT

FREE FRI Ally Friendship

LIVE

1 Band S AT West Memphis

MUSIC 2 Band

FROM FRI Alexie Pigot

9PM 8

Band

SUNDAY’ S 1PM TO 4PM

10

SUN

17

SUN

24

SUN

31

S AT

9

FRI

15

FRI

22

S AT

23

FRI

29

S AT

30

Party Anthem Creedence &

Friends

Girls of Rock

Mick on Wheels Think Baby

Think

Countdown Band

Weekend Juliet

Seed Duo

Stone & Pike

THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 131 // MAY 2026 7