Unbreakable By Andrea Louise Thomas Photos Yanni
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trong, determined and resilient are all good words to describe restaurant owner, Michelle Zedda, but underpinning all of that is a kind heart. Having faced serious challenges in her life, she bravely rose up to meet them and came out stronger on the other side. She feels blessed to have been so fortunate and because of that, she wants to give back.
Michelle had a good role model for strength in her father. When she was a child, her parents were in a horrific car accident. Her mother was killed and her father was left in a coma for six weeks. He rehabilitated himself, reclaimed his children (10, 9, 3 and 18 months) and raised them on his own as the rest of his family was in Italy. He worked three jobs to support them.
Strength and determination have pulled Michelle through many difficulties. In 2015, she faced her own mortality when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Fortunately, it was operable, but she was told she would never have more children, yet not long after she became pregnant with her third daughter. She and her partner welcomed a healthy baby they were told Michelle would never carry to term. Mia Grace (my blessing in Italian) was a miracle baby. Her partner, who had been a chef in Milan, had a dream of opening a restaurant. It would be a new venture for both of them as Michelle’s career was in human resources. Together, they decided to take it on. With help from friends, they transformed an existing Capel Sound restaurant into their own in only four and a half weeks. continued next page... February 2020
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