Balin Stewart death: Parents Michael and Kerri-Lyn recall the moment their lives changed forever

The parents of popular Buddina teen Balin Stewart who was allegedly stabbed to death on his front lawn have relived the “flash bomb” moment as they combat knife culture.

Michael Stewart describes it as like a “flash bomb” the moment he walked outside to find his son dying from a stab wound on the front lawn of their family home.

“Time’s almost, it feels like it’s standing still,” Mr Stewart said.

“There’s panic, but when the ambulance arrived you think ‘it’s okay’ because you can’t even fathom that you’re going to lose your child, you just can’t,” his wife, Kerri-Lyn said.

Balin Stewart was a happy 16-year-old enjoying a makeshift pool in the backyard, excited to go to a party nearby and meet some friends the afternoon of his death.

By 10pm on January 20, 2022, he was back home in Iluka Ave, Buddina, watching racing simulation videos on YouTube with his dad, even offering up some praise for his dad’s skills.

“There was nothing leading towards this,” Mr Stewart said.

Supplied Editorial SCN110722Balin 2

Alerted to a disturbance about an hour later, Mr and Mrs Stewart went outside to find their son unconscious onthe lawn with a trickle of blood coming from a wound to his chest allegedly inflicted by a 17-year-old boy later charged with Balin’s murder.

Mr Stewart said he didn’t panic – even after being told Balin had been stabbed – until his son took three long, drawn out gasps then stopped breathing.

“That’s when I started to freak out, in that sense I was like ‘holy shit’,” he said.

“The last few gasping breaths I’m going ‘that’s it Balin, keep breathing, keep fighting, keep going, keep breathing, good on ya boy, keep going’, so I was sort of yelling out, encouraging, but once I started CPR I was just in CPR mode.”

“Time sort of seems to slow down,” Mrs Stewart said, recalling the wait for an ambulance.

READ THE QWEEKEND FEATURE WITH BALIN’S PARENTS HERE

The skies opened up, drenching Mr and Mrs Stewart, the paramedics trying to revive Balin and several neighbours who’d come to his aide.

The adrenaline masked the reality. Their beautiful boy was gone.

“Kez (Kerri-Lyn) is a shell of her former self,” Mr Stewart said.

Balin Stewart, 16, who was allegedly stabbed to death outside his Buddina home on January 20, 2022. Picture: Supplied

Mr Stewart described his wife as the family’s “lighthouse”– the guiding beacon of influence who set the traditions and gave his son “90 per cent” of his qualities.

“That’s been the hardest thing from my point of view,” he said.

“I’ve lost my son but also the lady that I knew before is not there.

“At the moment,” he added.

Mr Stewart admits he’s not at peace.

His sleeping, health and exercise patterns were now “pretty much non-existent”.

“My focus is gone,” he said.

“If you’re alone it’s never pleasant.”

Balin had referred to long-time family friend Rebecca Peaker and her husband Craig as Uncle Craig and Aunty Bec and had known their daughter Phoebe since he was in prep.

“To watch your friends go through this is completely soul destroying,” Mrs Peaker said.

“My husband has been completely destroyed by this.”

Bringing an end to youth knife culture is what now drives Mr and Mrs Stewart.

They said the statistics and anecdotal evidence they‘d come across in recent months had left them stunned and they were determined to get their message out to as many youths as possible about the dangers of blades.

Mrs Stewart still remembered her boy as the “glue” that united groups of people.

“Balin was that kid who was always bringing people together and even in death he’s still bringing people together,” Mrs Stewart said.

“So we’ve now had close friends that have now become family and acquaintances that have now become close friends.”

The boy with the strong moral compass and a penchant for “zany” activities crammed so much into his short life his parents had pondered whether he knew his time here would be fleeting.

“It would’ve been Grade 5 in primary school where he told me that he’s had a fight at school,” Mr Stewart recalled.

“He literally picked up a kid and put him on the ground and said ‘that’s enough’.”

“He didn’t punch him, he literally laid him down and said ‘stop’,” Mrs Stewart added.

“He doesn’t have a bad bone in his body.”

One of Balin’s best friends, Ashah Brown, 17, said she still thought about him every day.

“He was such a big influence to everyone in his life,” she said.

“He always just had the best advice.”

The simple mantra, ‘what would Balin do?’ was proving effective with everything from dating to study with many of Balin’s friends who continued to mourn their mate.

“Be inclusive, be kind and include everybody and be social. Those are his legacies,” Mr Stewart said.

“That’s his talent and of course that makes us immensely proud.”

Check out QWeekend this Saturday for the full feature with Balin’s parents.

-Mr Stewart will present at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital’s P.A.R. T. Y Program on July 20. Schools can apply to take part.

-For more on the #BinTheBladeForBalin campaign go to balinstewartfoundation.org.au

-The Balin Forever Festival will be held at NightQuarter on Friday, September 9.