An upset mother has spoken out and started a petition to change the rules after the council ordered her to get rid of the decorations her family has put on her son’s grave.
Kempsey-based Amanda Farrawell had to say goodbye to her baby son after he passed away due to sudden infant death syndrome.
Following the boy’s death, Amanda and her family have been doing their best to adorn the infant’s grave with toys, trinkets, and lights among other decorations.
Despite their best intentions, however, the Farewells received a letter in which the council responsible for the cemetery where their infant is buried demanded the family removes the decorations surrounding the grave.
In the letter, the authorities wrote:
“It’s important that we respect each other’s rights to visit the cemetery and we are asking for your assistance in ensuring it remains a safe environment. This involves keeping any objects, including flowers, to the space allocated on the grave beam and removing any personal items that are currently surrounding the gravesite.
“Please ensure that this action is undertaken by Sunday, 14 July 2019. After this time, Council will need to remove any items that can potentially hinder out crews while they mow and maintain the cemetery.”
After receiving the ‘upsetting’ letter, the mum-of-seven spoke out to Daily Mail Australia and said:
“I’m angry and sad by the rules. The grave is our special place and as long as it’s tidy and I maintain it I don’t think the council should have a say.
“We wanted to put a cement slab and a picket fence but we can’t even do that.”
Following the Farrawell story going viral, the spokesman for the Kempsey Shire Council released a statement that read:
“Council sent a respectful letter to about 100 families outlining the rules and asking them to keep their personal tributes to the concrete beams and remove any items surrounding the gravesite.
“We appreciate that this is an emotional issue, but Council has a responsibility to ensure that cemeteries are a safe and solemn environment for all visitors.”
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