By Kath Gannaway
Life is not entirely a bed of roses for Haylee Rouget – but as she recovers from a near-fatal electric shock, the kindness of others has brought joy, hope and gratitude.
Upper Yarra Garden Club is among those who have been moved by the plight of the Millgrove family, Haylee, 22, partner Trent Slater, and their children, Elena and Marcie.
Haylee’s heart stopped beating for 20 minutes when she touched a steel sink, electrified by a damaged powerboard at the family’s rented property back in March.
It was a split-second accident that was life-changing for the young mum.
Family and community rallied and last week a $1000 donation from the proceeds of the garden club’s annual Open Gardens Weekend took the amount raised through a GoFundMe campaign close to the $5000 target.
Haylee is recovering well, and the couple say they feel very lucky when they think of what might have been, but there are day to day, and longer-term, health issues to deal with as a result of the enormous hit to her body.
Trent and a neighbour, Judy, worked on Haylee, administering CPR for 20 minutes before paramedics arrived.
Ambulance Victoria said at the time that “bystander CPR is a critical early step in the chain of survival”.
Trent is emotional as he recalls how as he sat by Haylee’s bedside, as they were preparing for the worst.
“We’re extremely lucky … Haylee was 100 per cent on life support when she went into the hospital and we weren’t given much hope,” he says.
“We certainly weren’t expecting her to make the recovery she has.”
Trent is only now getting back to his job at Kelly’s Timber in Wesburn, working a few days a week.
He said his boss was tremendously supportive.
“He was really understanding … told me ‘however long it takes, there will always be a job here’ and I’m so grateful for that.”
Family members took Trent and the girls in and it was an emotional, stressful and financially draining time visiting the hospital every day and trying to keep normality for the girls.
Having the financial burden lifted through the GoFundMe campaign made everything else possible.
“Life doesn’t stop,” Haylee said. “The money helped get the car serviced, paid for petrol, and helped with everyday bills.”
Meeting up with Garden Club president Kevin Hince and member Ros Bowden, Trent said they had been overwhelmed by the support and generosity shown to them.
Mr Hince says each year members nominate where donations from the Open Gardens Weekend go and that Ms Bowden had nominated Haylee and Trent.
“We looked at all the submissions and donated $2800 all up – $1000 of that going to Haylee and Trent, who we considered very worthy of our support,” Mr Hince said.
Other recipients were Upper Yarra SES, Yarra Valley Cancer Support Group, Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead, Coldstream Animal Aid and KOHA Vegetable Garden.
Over the past five years the club has donated $12,000 back to community.
Ms Bowden said she felt it was a very appropriate donation with local families among regular supporters of the Open Gardens Weekend.
And while Haylee and Trent admit to having “a bit of a green thumb” they said they would never have thought of a garden club as a group that would come to their aid.
“We had no expectations at all,” Trent said.
“We’re just so overwhelmed and grateful for the response and the support we’ve had from so many people. We feel so fortunate.”
The 2017 Open Gardens Weekend is on 7 and 8 October this year, and Haylee, Trent and the girls have marked it in their diary to go along.
