Montrose family’s Christmas display in memory of son Corey Brasher

A Montrose family’s love has bought the community together as they prepare for their first Christmas without their beloved son and brother.

Debbie, Tiarnie and Lee Brasher with a photo of Corey. Picture: Ian Currie

A Montrose family’s love has bought the community together as they prepare for their first Christmas without their beloved son and brother.

With help from her husband Lee and daughter Tiarnie, Debbie Brasher created a festive paradise in her Montrose front garden in memory of son Corey, who died from an asthma attack on January 15.

Thanks to social media, hundreds of people arrived to experience the magic on Saturday, December 1, with donations already past $1500.

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Corey was 25 when he died after suffering an asthma attack at his first St John’s Tecoma cricket practice back after a four-year hiatus.

He’d been focusing on his apprenticeship at his parents’ Ferntree Gully business, Elite Glazing, but decided to get back into the sport he loved.

“He was struggling to breathe and they took him across the road to the Angliss Hospital,” Mrs Brasher said.

Corey’s condition worsened and he died at Maroondah Hospital.

Corey and Tiarnie Brasher.

Keen to continue the family tradition of putting up Christmas decorations while also raising money for Asthma Australia, the family decided to do something special.

“As my daughter said, he’d be really annoyed if we didn’t count down the days till Santa,” she said.

Mrs Brasher decided to create baubles in Corey’s memory that people can take home for a donation that goes to Asthma Australia.

The writing on the card that comes with the bauble reads: “Hang this bauble from your tree, when you look at it remember me.”

She said there was a line for the baubles and one couple donated $200 for two of the decorations.

The Brashers turn the magical lights on every night in memory of Corey, and Santa will visit the 858 Mt Dandenong Rd every Saturday from 8.30 to 10pm until Christmas.

Lee, Tiarnie and Debbie Brasher with a mural of Corey. Picture: Ian Currie

A MOTHER’S LOVE

by Debbie Brasher

I just started to do my decorations just so Corey would see them and know that we loved him and miss him so much, and for me to keep busy through this awful time.

But ideas kept popping in my head and it has just been a rewarding and very emotional experience.

I love Christmas and as my daughter says, I am Mrs Christmas. My kids Corey and Tiarnie just had to love Christmas time and as they grew older loved it just as much as me.

Corey Brasher

A young Corey and his Tiarnie Brasher.

No-one would be without a gift if they were visiting us and both kids were the best at present giving. I instilled in them not to buy a present just for the sake of it but to think about the person and what they liked and didn’t, and it was often a study session around the table to sort everyone out.

Corey always pushed himself to be the best at anything he set his mind to — achieving his glazing apprenticeship in three years rather than four and bringing the best to the trade.

He was on top of the world buying his own home at 25 and moving in on December 30, 2017, only to be taken from us 15 days later.

It was his first night back at training on January 11.

He felt light-headed and was struggling to breath, and being diagnosed as a sports asthmatic when he was 13, he asked his coach to take him to the hospital across the road, William Angliss.

A young Corey Brasher

Corey Brasher at the Redwood Forest

We have found that Corey tried everything out until he conquered it. From guitar to banjo, to harmonica, didgeridoo, he was great at basketball, but cricket he loved.

He loved his sister more than anything and her being overseas when this happened was the hardest thing I think a parent, outside of losing a child, having to tell your other child about her brother while being away.

My aim now is to try to get all sports grounds to have medical kits and for the coaches to have medical information on players, whether it be epilepsy, so this can hopefully be avoided for another family.

I hope that young and old come to our decorations and love them and get some enjoyment for the Christmas period.

But most of all, I tell them to love their kids and cherish them always as you don’t know what life has in store for you.

Corey and Tiarnie Brasher

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