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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-04-03 Daily Xml
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Say Their Name Day

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (15:23): I, too, would like to acknowledge for the record, following on from the member for Black's words, a number of babies and children taken too soon. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge Claire and Alex's son, Clancy Alexander. I think it is particularly fitting that he gets to share your name, Alex.

For myself and for the member for Black, it is incredibly important to acknowledge babies and children loved and to say their names in this place. I am not, of course, a bereaved parent but a bereaved sister, and I went through life loving and knowing my baby brother as I know so many older brothers and sisters have, and I will always do what I can to break that silence for him and for the parents who I know are not often able to.

My brother, Benjamin Isaac, shaped my life, and for me he is very much shaping the work we are doing here in the Parliament of South Australia. I acknowledge my brother, Benjamin Isaac; and Jaye, son of Tamara and Adam. Tamara has written an incredible book about loss called Born to Fly. I also acknowledge Charlotte Gigi Cavallaro, daughter of Demi. It was lovely to meet Charlotte's little brother, Archie, today, who is earthside. I acknowledge Emma Doecke—Emma's grandparents are with us in the gallery today, and also the Doecke angel babies. Thank you for joining us.

I acknowledge Oscar, son of Renee; Isabelle Nellie Haggett, daughter of Carrie and Adam; Sofia Josephine Pollock, daughter of Danielle and Mark; Theodore Lawrence Miller, son of Locky and Jess; Mitchell, son of Kylie and Scott; and Gabriel, son of Zoe. We also acknowledge on Say Their Name Day that a number of parents decide to give their babies a nickname, often reflecting what they called their baby in utero, and I acknowledge little Gromit today, son of Kieran and Kirsten.

We know that for families of babies and children loved and lost, saying a name is incredibly important, as is creating a legacy for loved ones that were not given the chance to make one of their own. Every time a bereaved family member speaks out or advocates, they are contributing to the legacy of their beloved little ones, and I want to thank them for that.

It was a privilege to join with bereaved families this morning to celebrate what could have been. We shared stories and memories, and I heard more about the incredible submissions that have been made to the parliament's committee into stillbirth. I genuinely believe it will be one of the great privileges of my career and my life more generally to get to know the stories of little ones and to see what incredible impact their short lives will have.

For me, I continue to say my brother's name in this place because I feel that I have to, because I owe it to him, as his big sister, to continually acknowledge the footprints he left in our lives. I believe we owe it collectively to all the babies and children who we hold only in our hearts. This morning, we lit candles for each child in their memory. We also lit candles for children loved and lost, babies loved and lost, and pregnancies loved and lost, acknowledging those who are not able to speak up or advocate but are of course equally as touched by the loss of an infant or child. Today, for the house, for our loved ones, we say their names.

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