REMEMBERING A SHINING LIGHT

BY RACHAEL SMITH Continued

Stirling’s family decided to share their story with the community as a way of saying thank you for all the support and love they received from both friends and strangers in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.

While they prefer to stay under the radar and process their loss privately, they also acknowledge the community’s shared grief, especially those whose lives were touched in some way by Stirling.

During the court hearing Stirling’s dad, Simon, read out an emotional speech that showed the depth of the family’s loss, but also gave an insight into the incredible person Stirling was.

Known as an empath and a protector, Stirling touched the lives of many.

At school, he frequently stood-up for anyone who was being bullied and was known to unconditionally support anyone in his peer group.

“There are many entries in Stirling’s books of condolence from children he knew, saying he’d stepped in to help when they were being picked on, and that he always had a smile for someone who was having a bad day,” said Simon.

Stirling was born with a cleft lip and palate which meant lots of trips to hospital and several operations during the course of his life.

On each trip, a highlight of the visit to the Children’s hospital in Brisbane was spending a large portion of spare time after his appointments at the Starlight foundation, where he loved playing computer games with similarly sick children.

“Where we, as adults, may have seen a child disfigured in some way from a nasty accident or suffering from the effects of treatment for cancer, Stirling saw another like-minded child who wanted to play games, and perhaps forget about the rigours of the day or what was to come,” said Simon.

“This exposure to sick children, we believe, humbled Stirling, and formed the core of his personality.”

Stirling was also a passionate animal-lover who dreamt of being a vet one day.

He begged his family for a pet dog for many years and his wish was finally granted in 2021 when they brought home Lloyd.

“He and his dog Lloyd were inseparable for one year prior to the incident,” said Simon from page 3 in the statement.

“It is hard to spend time with Lloyd without feeling a great sadness, that it should be Stirling nurturing Lloyd instead of us. If Stirling were here today, he would be pushing us for more animals.”

It is for this reason that the family have decided to use the money donated by the community after the accident to create a Dog Exercise Park in Cannonvale.

“Every day after school Stirling took Lloyd to the dog park next to the school in Cannonvale,” said Tracy.

“So, we wanted to remember him there by providing something that the community can enjoy.”

So far, one piece of equipment has arrived, and the water fountain is already a popular spot for lively dogs.