Brooke Fretwell’s family features in new Redkite recipe eBook
The Fretwell family lost their daughter Brooke to cancer five years ago. Now they’re giving something back.
Penrith
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Brooke Fretwell was only 15 years old when she lost a 13-year battle with brain cancer in 2015.
Now, five years after her tragic passing, her love of cooking and baking is featured in a free eBook For the Love of Bread distributed by charity, Redkite.
Redkite supports children and young people with cancer and their families.
Brooke’s father, Karl, said the family had two sandwiches featured in the book.
“We’ve got the club sandwich and a fried ham and cheese toastie,” he said.
“My wife Olivia went back through Brooke’s recipe books, and they were two of her favourite sandwiches.
“Brooke was a very avid baker, so the association with the eBook is very appropriate with who Brooke was and what she loved to do.
“To think some of her recipes are being published for others to see and use, she’d be overwhelmed with joy.”
Mrs Fretwell said the family still cooks some of her favourite recipes.
“Brooke had a lot of cookbooks, and she used to put a little post-it-note on her favourite pages,” she said.
“We have a flick back through her cookbooks from time to time, and we’ll make one of her recipes.”
Brooke was just two years old when she was first diagnosed with brain cancer and 14 when she was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
Children diagnosed with DIPG have a life expectancy of nine to 12 months – Brooke fought the cancer for 14 months.
Mr Fretwell said Brooke fought bravely for 13 years at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead while she went through six open brain surgeries, 40 doses of radiotherapy and 20 doses of chemotherapy.
“Redkite helped us through Brooke’s last diagnosis,” he said.
“They helped us financially and with counselling after she passed away.
“As Olivia and I have got through our initial process of grief, we want to honour Brooke by helping organisations who helped us out.”
Brooke was also an avid Penrith Panthers fan and has a special pink seat in her honour on the western terrace near the tunnel.
The free eBook For the Love of Bread can be downloaded at https://www.sandwich4redkite.org.au/