This GoFund is being set up to help our dear Betty Small and her family invest into setting up Betty's home to allow her to return to after being hospitalised for a broken pelvis safely.
If you have ever been through the beautiful town of Bellingen on Gumbaynggirr Country, you may have come across our Betty playing percussion in the street. You may have seen her perform with Drumming Circles at Bello Winter Music Festival, or in Irish Traditional Sessions, or with the many Irish bands and performers who have performed there over the years.
Betty moved to this country from Northern Ireland when she was 21 and has been a beloved member of the Bellingen Community, the music community, and the larger Irish community here. She brings such joy and love to many performers with her smile, rhythm, stories, and even a song if you are that lucky to get one out of her.
On the 24th of April, Betty was on her way, very excitedly to see my performance. Áine Tyrrell is my name and I am an Irish peformer who has toured through Bellingen many a time and Betty is always the highlight of the town. Betty and I had spoken on the phone many times before the show as we always do. Betty was so excited after 2 years of cancellations to finally come along to the show, so she walked into town with her bag of percussion ready to jump on stage with me as she always does, but Betty had a very unfortunate fall in the IGA on her way through which has left her with a broken pelvis. She has been in hospital since in Coffs, waiting on a rehab bed available in her Bellingen. Her family and close friends are truly devastated for Betty at this set back as she is such an independent go-getter that to see her in bed is hard.
Betty will not be released home to live independently until her family can ensure that her house will be fit for her rehabilitation. If any of you know Betty, you know how fiercely independent Betty is and why this GoFund is so important to set up to assist her family in getting her home ready for her return or taking the next steps required. There are tough decisions ahead for Kellie and Julie as Betty's daughters and some extra financial assistance can help ease some of those hard decisions.
Aged Care is a community service and we are Betty's community of musicians near and far who adore her and the community of Bellingen. There are so many funding constraints on all aged care providers and we are trying to get Betty recovered and home as soon as possible. The impact extra moneys can make on older people and their families is immeasurable and I do hope we can all give a little at this time to help her family in this transition. After a life’s contribution of bringing smiles and beats to so many people's lives, I do hope we can bring a smile back to Betty's. Betty deserves our investment into her wellbeing. Let's get her back drumming and smiling.