Gold Coast mother distressed after grave of dead son is poorly maintained

A GRIEVING mother says she can nearly touch the coffin of her dead son who was buried four months ago. She says poor maintenance has seen much of the grave wash away leaving parts of the casket uncovered.

Susan Kelly at her son’s gravesite. Picture: Jerad Williams

A GRIEVING mother is distraught that her son’s grave at a Gold Coast cemetery has not been properly maintained.

The gravesite, in the council-run Mudgeeraba cemetery, was supposed to be grassed over in January — but this has not been done.

The filled grave has also sunk at least 20cm in places, breaking the heart of the mother, Susan Kelly.

“It’s just half full, it’s disgraceful,” she said.

Susan Kelly says its inexcusable that her 18-year-old son's grave has been allowed to sink so far down she can nearly touch it. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I just don’t know what to do. He’s an organ donor. He just deserves much more respect.”

Ms Kelly said her 18-year-old son, Hadyn Kelly, was buried on November 9 last year after he died of meningoencephalitis and neisseria meningitidis.

She visits the cemetery nearly every week and recently found the grave sunken.

Grass was supposed to be laid over the gravesite in January, despite initial delays of which Ms Kelly said she had been made aware.

But nearly two months on the Palm Beach resident said she was still fighting to get the site finished.

Susan Kelly at Hadyn’s burial site. Picture: Jerad Williams

“He deserves more respect, he’s just lying there,” she said, fighting back tears.

“I know the grass wasn’t getting there until January because the greenkeeper told me, but if you reach down you can almost touch (the coffin).

“When they first do it, it’s raised by about three feet (above ground) for burial.”

Ms Kelly said and the state of the grave was “inexcusable”.

She said she had been left devastated by the death of her youngest son.

Hadyn had suffered a bad headache on October 27.

“He’d just finished Year 12,” she said.

“He said, ‘I have a headache’.

Hadyn’s gravesite should be covered over with grass, like these sites. Picture: Jerad Williams

“Four hours later he said it was 10 times worse. He was admitted in an induced coma with bacterial meningitis.

“He was in a coma for a week before he passed, but they kept him on life support for his organs. He donated all his organs. He wanted to be a paramedic.”

Hadyn died on November 2 and was buried a week later. Most of his organs were donated except for his heart and eyes because a suitable recipient wasn’t found in time.

Ms Kelly said she had called council and was told an attempt would be made to repair Hadyn’s grave straight away.

Susan Kelly is disappointed the gravesite has not been well maintained. Picture: Jerad Williams

“They blame it on the weather and that they’re too busy,” she said.

“After all he went through and saved lives. It’s more about just respect and awareness of this disease, and organ donation.”

When contacted by the Bulletin, a Gold Coast City Council spokesman said: “The city sincerely apologises for this situation and for any distress it may have caused.

“Planned maintenance works to this particular site were delayed by recent rain.

“Our cemeteries are maintained on an ongoing basis and we always aim to ensure they are kept in peak condition.”

Direct questions about how the cemetery would fix the site issues were ignored.

Ms Kelly said she hoped parents would talk to their teenagers about the contagious diseases.