After living in a home in Townsville since he was just three years old, Shane Aikman is now experiencing a joy many of us take for granted – being reunited with family.
Shane has spent his life surrounded by the care and support of our team. Over the years, he’s watched his housemates receive visits from family, all the while wondering about his own. With no contact since early childhood, Shane had grown up without knowing whether any of his family were still out there.
But everything changed just a few weeks ago.
With Shane’s blessing and a copy of his birth certificate in hand, Portfolio Manager Jessica Parry decided to reach out – sending a message to a man named Dennis via Facebook, asking if he’d once lived in Townsville and had a brother named Shane.
The reply came quickly. Dennis responded,
Is this about my brother Shane?
That one question kicked off a series of emotional discoveries. Within two hours, Shane’s niece Taylor had also reached out explaining that she used to work for the Sunshine Coast social enterprise. She and Dennis both decided they wanted to reconnect and would visit Shane in July, just in time for his birthday and a Cowboys football game, which both brothers love.
The first video call eventually occurred. Shane, usually a quiet and reserved man, had tears in his eyes as he saw a photo of his big brother for the first time. During the call, he excitedly showed Dennis around his room, pointing out his treasured mug and sock collections. He even entertained his brother, treating him to a live musical performance by playing his ukulele. After it all, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
The next day, another surprise: Shane’s mum Sylvia was told about the reunion and wanted to connect too. A video call was arranged, and Shane was once again beaming. Sylvia is also planning to visit in July.
Now, Shane has regular fortnightly phone calls with his mum every Thursday, and Dennis checks in whenever he can.
Every time a new staff member visits, Shane proudly drags them to his room to show off his most precious treasures: photos of his family.
Portfolio Manager Jessica Parry said,
I’ve never seen such joy and happiness in Shane’s face. It brings tears to my eyes writing this.
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