Robbie and Charli: Parents of tragic twin drownings seek legacy

THE parents of toddlers who died after a tragic backyard drowning have urged people to donate to the hospital that cared for their twins, as they finalise plans to lay the siblings to rest.

• Calls for swimming lessons to become part of school curriculum
• Toddler drowns after being pulled from backyard pool

THE heartbroken parents of toddlers who died after a tragic backyard drowning have selflessly urged people to donate to the hospital that cared for their twins, as they finalise plans to lay the siblings to rest on Friday.

Parents Fleur and Robert Manago spent 10 “horrific” days at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead with twins Robbie and Charli and have now asked the community to honour them with a memorial fundraiser.

The 23 month olds were pulled unconscious from the backyard pool of the family’s home at Kellyville Ridge on December 20.

Twins Robbie and Chalrli Manago. They both drowned at their Kellyville home last month. Picture: Supplied

Charli died on December 26 and three days later, her brother Robbie passed away.

“The care from everyone at the hospital was beyond incredible and made this horrific time a little easier. Fleur and Robert would like to raise money for the hospital … in remeberance (sic) of their beautiful twins,” a GoFundMe website set up by friend Nicole Anderson reads.

TO DONATE CLICK HERE

They had been seen eating ice-cream on the deck of their Charbel Place home before their bodies were pulled from the pool.

Robbi and Charli’s parents are asking for donations for a memorial fundraiser. Picture: Facebook

Parents Robert and Fleur Manago desperately tried to give CPR to their two children. Picture: Facebook

The twins’ parents and neighbours frantically gave CPR to the toddlers before an ambulance arrived.

Their deaths come as part of a spate of drownings across NSW. There have been 225 deaths and near drownings in the past two months in the state and emergency services are urging swimmers to be extra careful.

Authorities are also calling for mandatory swimming lessons as part of schooling, saying a generation of Australian kids are growing up without ever learning basic swimming skills.

“Swimming used to be something that occupied a big chunk of the syllabus but what we are seeing now is a whole range of other sports take up that curriculum time,” Royal Life Saving NSW operations manager Michael Ilinsky said.

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