Everything to Live For: The Inspirational Story of Turia Pitt by Pitt Turia

Author:Pitt, Turia [Pitt, Turia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: NON-FICTION
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2013-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

THE THREE AMIGOS

AS TURIA STARTED HER SLOW AND PAINFUL PROCESS OF rehabilitation, Michael and Célestine determined they would work with her towards the next major milestone – getting her home – even though that was some way off. They began to call themselves ‘the three amigos’. Michael and Célestine had established a routine even before Turia was moved to the Burns Unit.

For Célestine, much of that routine revolved around nutrition. Initially, Turia was fed intravenously then via a tube. When Turia was eventually able to eat, everything had to be sucked through a straw. Celestine had long been a devotee of wholesome, nutritious food and her garden was full of fresh vegetables and there was an excellent fish shop five minutes down the road; knowing that good food was a way to build up Turia’s strength, she read up on the type of food that would be best for her daughter. There was no way Célestine would have Turia eating hospital food; Michael, who delivered esky-loads of delicious food to Turia’s bedside often ended up eating the hospital food instead.

Célestine began splitting her time: she would spend one week in Sydney then one week at home with John and the boys. When she was in Sydney, the boys were looked after by their father or John. Gary Hoskin had gone back home but still travelled up to Sydney every Tuesday on business; he would take Célestine with him, leave her at Genji’s and collect her the following week.

During her ‘at home’ week, she would make nourishing soups from her garden vegetables or from fresh fish; John would help her prepare and freeze the packs of food and she would take them to Genji and Angela’s apartment, where their fridge bulged with beautiful food, lovingly prepared. Angela had her new mother-in-law sleeping on her couch every second week and her husband’s best friend sleeping in the spare bedroom for five months but Célestine and Michael never heard her or Genji complain.

Célestine’s faith kept her going; it was faith in Turia’s survival that helped her jump off Genji and Angela’s couch at 5.30 each morning to squeeze fresh juices and pack the day’s food in an esky. Then she and Michael would climb in the little blue Hyundai for the long drive through the morning traffic to be at the hospital by 7 am.

When Turia was able to eat some solids, Célestine would make small dinners and cut everything into tiny pieces and Michael would reheat them in the Burns Unit kitchen. One of her favourite breakfasts was the pancakes Célestine or Michael would spoon into her mouth in little squares with a dab of maple syrup. ‘Mm, yum, Mum,’ she’d say. Julie also made tasty dinners cut into small portions, which she would send to Sydney with Gary. But the feeding was a messy business and one that used to distress Célestine until Turia had an operation to release the contractions on her lips.

The days were busy. Turia’s dressings had to

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