Marie Browitt: Mother’s bittersweet joy at White Island survivor daughter’s homecoming
After losing her husband and daughter in the New Zealand volcano disaster, Marie Browitt has spoken for the first time about the darkness that has engulfed her life, and the light her surviving daughter Stephanie brought back to the family home.
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Marie Browitt has spoken for the first time of the grief and darkness which has consumed her life following the New Zealand volcano tragedy that claimed the lives of her husband and youngest daughter.
The grieving mum said she drew back her blinds and let light into her Craigieburn home for the first time in more than six months on Friday when surviving daughter, Stephanie, was able to visit for a few short hours – and wept when she left.
With a mask and gloves covering her face and hands, the badly burned Stephanie, 23, was able to cuddle her collie dog Arlo and spend precious time away from hospital and back in her childhood home.
“Stephanie’s visit was amazing and brought life back into the home, the blinds went up for the first time and I cried when the patient transport had to take her away, back to hospital,” Mrs Browitt said in a message to the Sunday Herald Sun.
“For a few hours, there was the noise of family in a home again. It’s torture without a baby girl and her father and I can’t wait for the day that Stephanie can return (permanently) home.”
Krystal, 21, died in the December 9 White Island eruption, while Paul Browitt died in The Alfred hospital from his injuries about a month later.
Mrs Browitt – who spends each day at her daughter’s hospital bedside – said Stephanie had a tough journey and many surgeries ahead, but was on the road to recovery.
She said she was forever grateful for the generosity and support of friends, family, co-workers and the wider community, “for their donations, prayers, love and encouragement throughout the last six months”.
Family friend Steve Galea said Ms Browitt’s life had “basically stood still” since the volcano erupted and both she and Stephanie were thankful for the Go Fund Me donations, which enabled them to spend time together and would help with rehabilitation and other costs when Stephanie was finally able to return home permanently.
Her first visit home on Friday coincided with her much-loved dog’s first birthday, “and she shed many tears of joy”, Mr Galea said.
Arlo had belonged to both Krystal and Stephanie, so the reunion was an extremely emotional one, and Arlo would play a big part in Stephanie’s psychological recovery, he said.
The Browitt family were on a much-anticipated cruise “holiday of a lifetime” on the Ovation of the Seas – and on a day trip to White Island – when the volcano erupted.
Mrs Browitt stayed on the ship while the other members of her family went ashore.
Stephanie suffered third-degree burns to 70 per cent of her body and lost parts of her fingers in the tragedy.
Sharing a photo of herself with Arlo on social media on Friday she said:
“To say I got the best welcome back hug and cuddles from my dog is honestly an understatement … today couldn’t have been any better and it felt amazing to be back in my home even if it was just for a day.”
To support the Browitt family, go to: https://au.gofundme.com/f/nz-volcano-support-the-browitt-family
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