“For me, Rosie May has been frozen in time”, says Mary after taking a long breath. “And it will never be the same”. Olimpia Zagnat meets a Nottingham mum who is helping the vulnerable during Covid Christmas in the name of her 10-year-old murdered daughter.
With the festive period fast approaching, people all around the world are wondering how this year’s Christmas will look.
What we used to call ‘normal times’ now seem to belong to a different era, and the present is uncertain for families who are either dealing with loss due to pandemic, financial instability or the impossibility to get together and celebrate Christmas.
Meanwhile, for a 59-year-old mourning mum in Nottingham, this ‘festive’ day reminds her of the tragic loss in her life.
It was 17 years ago when Mary Storrie’s daughter was murdered at a family Christmas party, strangled to death by another family’s son.
On December 28, Rosie May and her family were taken to the intensive care, where the 10-year-old was put to ventilation as her pulse had come back and lightened a spark of hope in her parents’ hearts.
But that spark did not last too long.
“Two days later we had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off the life support unit”, adds Mary.
“We went to the Christmas gathering as a family of five, and we returned as a family of four.”
Not many things in this world can equal a mum’s tragic loss of a child.
Similarly, nothing can replace the emptiness left by Rosie May’s murder.
But Mary and her husband Graham, 61, have since built up a legacy in their daughter’s name, so her 10-year-old little girl didn’t die in vain.
“I would in a heartbeat turn the clock back, but if we’re looking at this from a positive outlook, which I always try and do, it has given me more strength, resilience and empathy to have a more insightful approach”, she says.
Alongside the new source of strength and empathy that changed Mary’s perspective on life, there was one more thing that motivated the Storrie family to start a new journey – Rosie May’s symbolic presence a year after her death.
In December 2004, the family now composed of Rosie May’s brothers and parents went on a holiday to South East Asia, far away from Nottingham and the heartbreaking memories left there.
On Christmas Day, they planted a palm tree in loving memory of the little girl.
Following this on boxing day, a tsunami hit in the Indian Ocean, causing death to more than 230,000 lives across fourteen different countries – one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded.
Shocked to hear that they were lucky to have survived the catastrophe, the Storrie family returned to find the tiny palm tree planted days before.
This is the moment when the family was convinced that the little girl was watching over them, and the inspiration that Mary needed to start her daughter’s legacy – the Rosie May foundation.
“It’s been a life line for us for me and our family.
“It has enabled us to turn something negative into something positive”, she explains.
“The charity has helped us to channel our grief.”
And just like this, Mary was about to open a new chapter of her life.
In 2012, she graduated from NTU with first class honours in Global studies, and was also awarded the Vice Chancellors Award for Humanitarian services and high academic achievement.
“When you go through an experience like this, you feel like you need to do something that is different and takes you away from the life that you had before.”
Through the foundation’s programmes, Rosie May’s legacy is alive and enables communities to have a better life, especially in these unprecedented times due to the pandemic.
A new initiative started to respond to local community during the pandemic was to utilise a pink tuk-tuk imported from India to the UK. It is identical to the ones used in Sri Lanka through the ‘Think Pink’ project where women are trained to drive as taxis to keep other women and children safe and lift themselves out of poverty.
Nottingham communities are delivered food, other essentials and, maybe the most important, a sign of hope and joy.
But ‘Rosie The Little Pink Tuk Tuk’ comes with a strong message to the Nottingham community.
This initiative raises awareness of the charity’s Think Pink Project in Sri Lanka which supports vulnerable single mums who don’t earn an income, and provides personal safety following studies that have shown that over 90 per cent of children and women in Sri Lanka have experienced sexual harassment on public transport.
This Christmas, the tuk tuk “is set and ready to go” and give festive spirit to the Nottingham communities.
“We will have a tuk tuk Santa”, says Mary in a more joyful tone.
Tuk tuk Santa will visit children and have a socially distanced chat outside, both Santa and his helpers will be wearing a mask to follow Covid guidelines and promote the importance wearing of masks in the community .
“Everything will be covid safe and help to bring some good cheer at Christmas.
“We found that the mental health side of lockdown is quite catastrophic for so many people.
“This is to raise spirits, bring them cheer, and give a positive spin on lockdown.”
Although Mary would turn the clock back in a heartbeat, the legacy she created helped communities in Nottingham and beyond to find their peace.
Whether it is aiding abused women in Sri Lanka, or helping the vulnerable families in local communities, she will always find a way.
“I felt like this was a good way to be able to help other people.
“To be able to create a legacy that kept Rosie May’s name and memories alive.”
By Olimpia Zagnat
Featured image credit: Rosie May Foundation