By Paul Dobbyn
“WHY us? We’re good people.”
This was the question Dean and Jenny Smith asked themselves last year after the death of one of their twins Imogene – “Immy” – at three months.
She had bravely struggled for life alongside her twin brother Theodore (Theo) after being born at only 24 weeks. Each weighed just over 600 grams.
On October 4, 2013, in Brisbane’s Mater Hospital, Immy lost the battle, her life claimed by an infection.
Her grieving parents were left bereft but in many ways not baffled as to the meaning of Immy’s short life.
For from her death had flowed many blessings – personal ones like a renewed faith in the essential goodness of humanity.
These blessings had also spread across Rockhampton diocese and beyond.
The call to prayer which the twins’ battle for life inspired had galvanised many people, even those who had never done so before, to petition God for the little ones’ survival.
Immy was, as Rockhampton diocese’s vicar general Fr John Grace told her grieving parents, a “little missionary”, one who had inspired more people to pray in her short three months of life than he had in his 44 years as a priest.
Mr Smith, Rockhampton diocese’s director of financial services, said he and wife Jenny, a nurse, had been to “hell and back” since the arrival of twins on June 29 last year.
“Many times we feared we would lose both children,” he said.
“Theo and Immy were constantly fighting off infections in those first months at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane.”
In August, the couple started a blog theoandimogen.wordpress.com to chart the twins’ progress and the positive side of social media quickly cut in.
“This was a good way for us to communicate what was happening in the twins’ lives … there was so much going on it was much easier this way,” he said.
“We received an instant response to our request for prayers.
“What really struck us were the contacts we received from people who didn’t consider themselves Christians.
“They were saying things like they didn’t even know how to pray but would try.”
This overwhelming response had an impact on the Smiths.
“Like most people, I think, I had the belief that humanity by and large was going down the drain,” he said.
“Getting support from so many good people completely changed my outlook.”
Rockhampton diocese bishops’ secretary Jan Mussig said the prayer impetus also flowed into the bishop’s office where Mr Smith worked.
“As they followed the twins’ many battles with infection, many in the office didn’t know how to deal with their feelings,” she said.
“We decided the whole office would gather in the chapel at 10.30am every day and pray before heading off to morning tea.
“It really bonded us all together – the office that prays together, stays together.
“This practice, started before Immy died, continues to this day.”
Rockhampton diocese’s Catholic Education director Leesa Jeffcoat was also struck by the powerful response to requests for prayer sent out in bulletins to the diocese’s schools.
“There was this enormous outpouring of support of which I’ve never seen the like,” she said. Ms Jeffcoat described Immy’s funeral on October 31 as “inevitably sad but also wonderful”.
“We all drew strength from Dean and Jenny’s faith and openness through their ordeal; this in turn drew all of us much closer together,” she said.
Fr Grace, who married Dean and Jenny, accompanied them throughout their ordeal.
In his homily at Immy’s funeral in St Joseph’s Cathedral, he spoke of “the extent of love which these twins have generated”.
“Theo will have his own experiences as life further unfolds to continue bringing the best out in us,” he said.
“Immy has squeezed us to the core with tender, heartfelt love and softened us beyond our wildest dreams.”
Mr Smith, speaking after the first anniversary of Immy’s death, said they had marked the occasion with a trip to Yeppoon.
“Jenny, Theo and I went to the beach and released a pink helium balloon with some messages on for Immy,” he said.
“We felt Immy’s presence with us in a special way that day and continue to do so.
“It’s incredible to think the positive impact her short life had on so many people.”
