Table 4 Family separation

Fractured family causing detachment from self, people, Country

“It is when you’ve got 13 children it’s very hard. And then like leaving them to go to [city burn clinic], when you think of taking them and all the way down there, it’s just not fair. It’s a long way away. If something happens you can’t say, “I’ll be there now,” or, you know? I worried being away from them.”

“Yeah it has affected us a lot because it’s like split us all up, you know, with the – with the other two being away separate from us. I’ve only got these two and yeah, and it’s like he doesn’t really understand yet like what’s happened and that. He – like he’s yeah, doesn’t realise yet of the outcome of the burn and that and he doesn’t talk about it, you know, and when you ask him he says, “No it’s all right I don’t worry about it.” Yeah, but later on down the track I think he will when he gets a bigger boy, yeah, when he starts growing into a teenager side.”

“I felt sad when I was down there because you don’t know, you know no-one. Too far away from families. I was lost down there. My boy was a bit sad too. Everyone here is related or ours. Because everyone’s cousins and all around here, and over the hill. I’ve got sisters up town there, and brother. This our community we help each other.”