The Cry That Breaks the Silence

There’s a sound that breaks every carers heart. It’s not loud. It’s not dramatic. It’s soft, searching, and utterly devastating.

The cry of a newly orphaned joey.

She calls for her Mummy— the one who will never answer again. The one who will never nuzzle her cheek, never groom her fur, never shield her from the wind or the world.

Her Mummy, who should have watched her grow. Who should have taught her when to leap and when to rest. Who should have stood watch as she took her first brave hops into independence.

But today, that future is gone. And all that remains is the ache of absence and the fragile, trembling joey in our arms.

So today is not about milestones. It’s not about progress or plans. It’s about cuddles. It’s about quiet reassurance. It’s about love—of a different kind.

Not the love she was born into, but the love that rises in response. The kind that says: You are safe now. You are held. You are not alone.

And as I hold her close, I whisper: I will never forget your Mummy. And I won’t let you forget her either. I will keep reminding you—your Mummy loved you so much.

I am her world now. We become her comfort, her protection, her hope.

And in doing so, we carry the heartbreak of every Mummy lost. We carry the weight of every life cut short. We carry the promise that their joeys will not be forgotten.

This is the work. This is the heartbreak. This is the love.

And we will never stop showing up.

“Inspiring hope and healing for Australia’s wildlife, one rescue at a time.”

Lenah - whose Mummy was hit not once but twice. She fell out of her Mummy’s pouch as her Mummy’s body was dragged off the road.