‘She’s going home’: Positive news for baby of mum killed in Bondi Junction
As mourners gather at a candlelight vigil on Sunday night for the victims who died in the mass stabbing, nine-month-old Harriet was discharged from hospital.
Family Life
Don't miss out on the headlines from Family Life. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Ashlee Good’s baby girl Harriet is going home.
The nine-month-old was stabbed alongside her mum in Bondi Junction Westfield on April 13, as Joel Cauchi made his way around the shopping centre, targeting women.
As Ashlee realised the seriousness of her injuries, she entrusted her daughter’s life to a pair of strangers, handing the baby over.
Tragically Ashlee died in hospital later that Saturday night, but baby Harriet pulled through, her grieving dad keeping vigil by her bedside at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
On Sunday NSW Health Minister Ryan Park confirmed that Harriet had been discharged from hospital.
“In a positive development, I can confirm the child who has been receiving care at Sydney Children’s hospital following last weekend’s tragic events at Bondi Junction has been discharged home,” he said in a statement.
“She continues to receive care from the expert clinicians at Sydney Children’s Hospital.”
Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.
Baby of Ashlee Good discharged from hospital
It was just eight days ago that baby Harriet and her mum Ashlee Good were spending a Saturday afternoon together at Bondi Junction Westfield.
Hundreds of mums and babies follow the same ritual every week, poking around the shops, stopping at a café, going to the play area.
But when Joel Cauchi, 40, entered the Westfield with a 30-centimetre knife and began targeting shoppers, a nightmare for friends and family of the victims began.
Ashlee, 38, was one of five women who was killed that day; Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, and Yixuan Cheng, 27 were also murdered. Security guard, Faraz Tahir, 30, was the sole male victim. He died while trying to defend others from Cauchi’s rampage.
According to witnesses, Ashlee, a new mum, sacrificed her own life to save her baby.
“The mum came over with the baby and threw it at me, and I was just holding the baby,” a man, who was shopping with his brother, told 9News.
RELATED: Ray Hadley describes having to tell John Singleton about daughter
“I just helped out, just holding the baby and trying to compress the baby and the same with the mother, trying to compress the blood from stopping and calling the ambulance and police.
“We just kept yelling out to get some clothes to help us compress and stop the baby bleeding.”
Medical teams rushed Ashlee to St Vincent’s hospital in a critical condition, but tragically, she died soon after arrival.
RELATED: Dad’s heroic act to save young girls from Bondi stabbing
RELATED: Shock details emerge as Bondi mum killed
Candlelight vigil for Bondi stabbing victims
The news of Harriet’s return home comes as a candlelight vigil is being held at Bondi on Sunday evening.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, thousands of mourners have gathered at the event organised by Waverly Council and the state government.
In the crowd was NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, the officer who shot and killed Cauchi, stopping his deadly rampage and saving countless lives.
Originally published as ‘She’s going home’: Positive news for baby of mum killed in Bondi Junction
I asked my friend not to bring her 6mo on holiday
“The only cries we want to hear on this trip are from the seagulls stealing our snacks, not a baby.”
‘My son handed me a business card from his friend’
“I’m always met with positive feedback from the other adults about how much easier it is to do it this way,” the mum said.