Meet Yasha
This beautiful baby was handed over to me by the Shire Ranger of Cranbrook on a cold Sunday morning. Yasha's Mum had been killed in a car accident the night before by a hit and run driver and Yasha had spent the night in her dead mother's pouch. Some kids found the Mum and checked the pouch and found a very cold Yasha. she was gently removed from the pouch by a neighbouring farmer who also respectfully buried her Mum. Yasha was just 295 gram when she came into care and I loved her dearly from the moment I held her in my hands. I knew the chances of keeping her alive were slim, but I was determined to do whatever it took to give her a chance at life. Three hourly feeds around the clock, keeping her little body at a constant temperature using Snuggle Safe pads with a Joey warmer in an Esky. She was a real little fighter, strong as she gripped my finger during bottle time. But her will to live was not enough, and 3 days later she passed away.
My heart was shattered and I was angry. Angry that someone had killed her Mum, angry that they didn't stop, angry that this little one spent a freezing cold night in her dead Mum's pouch, angry that there are drivers who just don't care. 4 pinkies that week, 4 Mum's killed, 4 drivers who didn't care to stop and check, 4 babies alone all night in Mum's pouch, 4 babies that died as a result. (and that is just those that I know about. This is repeated around the country every single night)
I was determined Yasha's death would not be in vain. I contacted the radio stations and newspapers, which resulted in a Radio Interview with the ABC, an article on their website and an article in the local Great Southern Weekender.
