Gold Coast Women of the Year: Diedre Hanna is Coast’s own guardian angel

Every day for the past 25 years Gold Coaster Deirdre Hanna has been a guardian angel for the city’s the most vulnerable souls through her tireless work.

THERE is a lot of sadness but also joy in the day-to-day life of Gold Coast woman Deirdre Hanna.

For the past 25 years she has been a guardian angel for the city’s most vulnerable souls, touching the lives of thousands of Gold Coasters through her work as the founder of Paradise Kids and Hopewell Hospice.

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Deirdre Hanna has helped thousands of Gold Coast children deal with grief through her organisation Paradise Kids. Picture Glenn Hampson

The counselling service has helped more than 4000 children dealing with trauma, some as young as two, referred for a variety of heartbreaking reasons.

“We deal with domestic abuse, sexual abuse plus the big losses associated with death, divorce and suicide, which is prevalent,” Ms Hanna said.

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“We’ve had a couple of cases this year where the child might go in and find that a parent has committed suicide and we also get called in if there has been a shooting or a murder or if a sibling dies.”

Ms Hanna also provides support for the elderly and terminally ill in their final stages of life at Hopewell Hospice.

Deirdre Hanna’s Paradise Kids and Hopewell Hospice has grown from just one building at Hope Island in the 90s, to three on the Gold Coast. Picture Glenn Hampson

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The home took on even greater special meaning nearly four years ago when her husband, Rev Ian Mavor, who co-founded the organisation, died there.

Despite the grief, Ms Hanna insists her life is filled with happiness too.

“It’s sad but I think it’s trusting that we are just helping them go into their next journey with love. We’ve had so many celebrations over the years,” she said.

Deirdre Hanna has been nominated for the Gold Coast Bulletin’s inaugural Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year campaign.