A couple whose world was “shattered beyond repair” after losing their only son have honoured the Sydenham school that supported them in their darkest days.
Riddells Creek couple Steve and Joanne Gibbs lost their son, Matthew, 23, who collapsed and died playing indoor soccer in 2013.
Mrs Gibbs, a Catholic Regional College staff member for 17 years, said principal Brendan Watson and staff at the Sydenham campus “can’t be thanked enough”.
The Gibbs’s have nominated the college for a ‘compassionate employer’ award, which is given to employers who support staff going through bereavement.
Mrs Gibbs, a support and administration staffer, said she hoped the award, given to the school on March 13, showed how grateful she and her husband were.
“They were amazing,” she said. “Brendan and everyone treated us with the utmost respect and dignity and made it, I can’t say easy, but much easier. They gave us the time to grieve.”
Mr Watson said he did “what any employer should do” and offered his full support, as did the 116 staff members.
“When you lose a child, as no parent should have to, the grief would be horrendous so we did all we could,” Mr Watson said.
“There’s no policy for this; we just banded together. Compassion needs to be how you live and what you’re about. It’s not about just going to church every Sunday; that doesn’t make you a good Catholic. It’s about how you live life and treat others.”
