By Laura Michell
The mother of a three-year-old girl who died after being hit by the family car outside her Epping child care centre last month has launched a fundraiser to help the family find a new home and car.
Amanda Furner and her four children have been living in a motel since the October 14 accident because she cannot face going home and seeing Charlotte’s empty room.
“It’s extremely painful to return back to the house,” she said.
Ms Furner, who is due to give birth in a couple of weeks, has started a Go Fund Me page to help her children rebuild their lives. She has raised more than $4500.
“The Go Fund Me is to support the kids and I [to] get back on our feet … my kids are my world,” she said.
“I know that I won’t ever fully recover from this, but for the sake of my baby boy and my other children, I need to find the strength to rebuild our lives.
“I also know that I can’t live at a motel, nor bring my baby boy home there.”
Ms Furner was with three of her children when she picked Charlotte up from the Kiddy Palace Learning Centre on October 14.
She turned on the car’s ignition to start the air conditioning while the other children got in the car. Charlotte waited outside the car for Ms Furner to help her in.
“I know 100 per cent the car was in park with the handbrake on. I went from my door to Charlotte’s door, was about to put her in, and that’s when the car went back,” she said.
Ms Furner doesn’t remember much of what happened next but has been told by staff at the child care centre that she was holding onto Charlotte screaming for help.
She is urging people to have their cars regularly checked to ensure they are roadworthy.
Ms Furner said Charlotte was her “princess”.
“Charlotte was a bright and bubbly princess that would light up any room she was in,” she said.
“She loved animals and always made friends anywhere she went.
“She stole a lot of hearts with her eyes and her beautiful smile. She loved helping others.”
Details: bit.ly/2CFGIK3
