Awhile back, I was contacted online by a Chinese student who wanted to tell Noah’s story as part of a school assignment.

I’m resharing my letter here because I’m a big fan of repurposing content, plus it’s a good opportunity for me to point my audience to my other website – babyNoah.com.au – which is where I’ll write more about this aspect of my life in due course (I know, I’ve been saying that for months).

This is what I wrote her; keep in mind the language is geared towards her audience-

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Dear Betty,

I’m the sole parent of Noah, a six year old child with Down Syndrome who is classified as severely disabled.

Noah was born with some very complex and serious medical issues which led him to spend the first 7 months of his life in hospital, in the intensive care unit. He’s had two open heart surgeries and a bowel surgery, and he also overcame a rare condition called hydrops fetalis. I was told by the doctors that hydrops together with Down Syndrome was just not survivable, nor was hydrops past the 30-day mark. Noah had hydrops for over 30 days and yet survived, proving the doctors wrong on both counts.

On a number of occasions in hospital, the doctors sat me down to discuss whether I would consider withdrawing treatment for Noah, and I resisted. When Noah was 3 months old, one of the senior doctors had a meeting with me and said that Noah would have to have his second heart surgery immediately because his heart was failing, and because he was so weak, he would need to be hooked up to a heart-lung machine, which would cause brain damage.

On that basis, he suggested I allowed Noah to die rather than to go through with the surgery. He said that if Noah were to survive, I would have to give up everything to look after him around-the-clock, and that my life would never be the same again.

He said that Noah was never going to be a productive member of society anyway, and he reminded me that I wasn’t a young woman and I’d have no-one to look after him when I’m gone, and that he would be a burden to the welfare system. I refused his advice and as a result this doctor kicked Noah out of the neonatal ICU; he said that they had run out of ideas how to treat him, and that to be blunt about it, they needed the bed back.

Noah was transferred to the paediatric ICU, which turned out to be a blessing because with a new set of doctors and treatment suggestions, he started to get better.

People sometimes ask me why I “use Noah as an advertisement” when I share pictures of him on social media. The reason I do so is to show how wrong the doctors were about his prospects for a fulfilling life, and about what my life is like despite having to look after him. I make a point of integrating Noah into everything I do, including when I travel, and when I run my business.

The story did not end when Noah came home from the hospital, because I now find that I fight a different battle, which is his right to be integrated into society. I face resistance when I take Noah with me to work in my business; despite the fact that he is safe and well-looked after and happy, I constantly get people try to stop me from bringing him along. I’ve had anonymous members of the public lodge complaints, raise petitions and one time, even call the police on me because they didn’t think Noah should be with me while I’m working.

Because most of these people choose to remain anonymous, I am generally unclear about their exact motives, but to be generous, I would propose that they think Noah, because of his disability, is not receiving the best care when I bring him with me to work. I’m guessing they think he should be receiving therapy or be left with strangers while I’m working.

Assuming this is their motivation, they are nonetheless discriminating against my son and they’re applying their own judgement on how to raise my child without knowing the full facts – which is that 1) Noah actually LOVES coming to work with me 2) he receives therapy and medical appointments the rest of the week, 3) in fact, coming along with me and experiencing the real world is a wonderful break and experience for him.

I recently came across a story of a mother with a son who has Down Syndrome; she is pretty vocal about the fact that she wishes she had aborted him, because she feels her life has been impeded because of her struggles in raising him, and about the fact that she once had to give up an overseas holiday because of him.

I’m not going to judge her, but I’m here to similarly share my own experience with Noah, which is the complete opposite. I did give up my restaurant to look after him, but I’ve managed to change the direction of my business in such a way that I can both spend more time with Noah as well as continue to share my passion for Malaysian and Southeast Asian cooking through live video broadcasts, recipe writing, travel, teaching, television presenting, and cooking demonstrations.

Noah has brought incredible joy into my life, and he is an inspiration to those who have watched him grow over the years. I believe that how you live your life gives those around you permission to do the same. To that end, apart from sharing photos and videos of him on social media, I write about Noah at www.BabyNoah.com.au (and have also previously done so at www.SerembanGirl.com and www.TheMighty.com). I do it with the hope that other parents in the same shoes can perhaps be emboldened rather than fearful about the possibility of life with a child who has Down Syndrome.

The post Letter To A Student In China first appeared on Jackie M..

On 28 September 2017, two police officers showed up at my weekly Concord Hospital market stall and told me that someone had filed a report about my Down Syndrome child being with me at work.

This was not the first time some anonymous member of the public had lodged a complaint about Noah’s presence at my stall; two years previously, I hit the news when another anonymous campaigner launched a petition to remove him from another market where I had operated for 14 years. I subsequently quit that stall, which leaves me with Concord Hospital Market as the one last remaining weekly event where I earn an income from selling Malaysian food.

At Concord Hospital, around this time last year, a woman came up and yelled at me for “child abuse” and said that she was going to report me to the authorities. I filmed our interaction and ended up being invited on television to talk about it.

Every time I post about this on social media, the average person is perplexed about what the problem is. What’s wrong with a child staying with his mom at work? Why do people get so worked up about it? On what basis would they be lodging their complaint? Some people probably assume I’m doing something wrong to get this kind of attention.

In fact when the story came out on the front page of The Daily Mail 2 years ago, some of the commenters suggested this was a publicity stunt by me looking for my 15 minutes of fame. Others are indignant that I would think I’m entitled to bring my kid to work when they don’t have that privilege (this one always stumps me because it’s so obvious – the difference between my situation and theirs is that I’m my own boss).

The fact is, efforts to thwart my integration of my child with my business have been taking place in more subtle forms since way before these incidents. I understand from my fellow stallholders that people gripe to them about Noah’s presence at the markets. They wonder why I’m not home looking after him or why he’s not in childcare. As if he’s better off with strangers for 8 hours than with his mom in an environment he absolutely loves.

Except for the one woman last year who yelled at me, nobody has had the wherewithal to confront me directly.

Throughout all these years, I’ve tried to address this issue with some level of restraint and diplomacy. I’ve tried to assume these people’s motives are pure but misguided. I’ve suggested it’s probably a cultural issue; that some Westerners find the idea of kids in a work environment to be offensive and an example of poor parenting. I’ve figured in their lack of understanding of my child’s disability, they assume he’s not getting the stimulation he needs to thrive.

My frustration stems from these people’s refusal to engage me respectfully to find out my story. They hide behind a wall of anonymity so I never really know the real motivations behind their actions. I decided to provoke a conversation, so I put up this sign the following week at my stall. Halfway through the day, I was told by the market organisers to pull down the sign based on a complaint by someone at the hospital.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I’m done with diplomacy and I’m done with being a sitting duck for malicious anonymous campaigners.

When I quit my other market stall 2 years ago, one person who had experienced disability discrimination in her own life posted on my Facebook page. She begged me to stay and fight. She said that I have a voice and that I need to use it to speak out for those who don’t. She’s right. This website may be about my baby Noah and our story, but I hope it helps other people out there who are or will be facing these kinds of obstacles in their own lives.

Let’s do this.

Sign the petition >> https://www.change.org/p/concord-hospital-support-baby-noah-s-right-to-stay-with-jackie-m-at-the-markets

The post Enough Is Enough first appeared on Jackie M..

My original target was $500; we’ve managed to raise AUD$1405.89 through book sales and personal donations (after processing fees and postage costs), AND separately raised USD$545.00 on Wyatt’s GoFundMe page which his mom set up in conjunction with the #helpWyatt campaign.

All the money at my end has been paid into (Wyatt’s mom) Brooklyn’s, account.

Special shoutouts to –

• Uncle Jim Malaysian Kitchen who donated $500
• Prestige Home Appliances who offered their appliances as Giveaways

The winners were randomly selected using an online software, and they are –

• Anita Menon, who received the Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro
• Ali Ajaj, who won the Optimum HealthyFry air fryer

Congratulations to you both and I hope you’ll find plenty of use for the beautiful new additions to your kitchen.

Wyatt’s family has just returned from their latest medical trip, with still no answers to the underlying cause for his hydrops. In a little spark of good news, however, his blood tests have come up normal.

Wyatt’s mom will continue to update his Facebook page – >>

https://www.facebook.com/wyattAngelino/ << so please follow it to find out how he’s doing.

Here’s a link to the pdf file compiled by my assistant Cyan showing all the breakdowns in money collected, in the interest of full transparency. I’ve left the donor names out because I know at least some of you want to remain anonymous. >> #HelpWyatt Campaign – Breakdown

And finally, here’s a glimpse at just some of the features of the Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro by Prestige Home Appliances >>

The post #HelpWyatt – Final Update and Winners Announcement first appeared on Jackie M..

I emailed you a few days about Prestige Home Appliances and how they’ve stepped in and offered a Giveaway of their Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro to one lucky person who contributed towards this campaign.

Thanks to the response, the company has now offered a SECOND prize – an Optimum HealthyFry air fryer to a second winner.

To learn more about these fabulous kitchen appliances, visit PrestigeHomeAppliances.com.au .

So if you’re still looking to help Wyatt’s family, remember all you have to do is either buy a copy of my cookbook (all proceeds go directly to Wyatt’s parents) – http://www.jackiemshop.com.au/product/jackie–m-truly-malaysian-street-food-at-home-mini-cookbook

OR contribute to their GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/support-wyatt .

Your name will automatically be added to all the others going into the draw for one of these prizes.

This campaign ends this weekend, ie. on Australia’s Mother’s Day, and we’ll be drawing the winner next week.

The only limitation is that I can only ship the appliances to an Australian address.

I know many of you contributed without any expectation of payback; this is just a token of appreciation by Prestige Home Appliances for your incredible generosity, so thank you again

Jackie M.

Ps. by the way if you’re still waiting for your book, they were all sent out on Tuesday so they’re on the way to you!

**Originally published as a newsletter.

The post Giveaway 2 – Optimum HealthyFry #HelpWyatt first appeared on Jackie M..

The Induction Pressure-Cook Pro is a multi-function cooker and is enroute to becoming one of my most useful appliances, so be sure to visit the website – www.prestigehomeappliances.com.au – and check out its specs.

If you’ve already ordered my cookbook, your name has automatically been added to the draw. If you haven’t, you can still do so here >> http://www.jackiemshop.com.au/product/jackie–m-truly-malaysian-street-food-at-home-mini-cookbook

Since my initial email, Wyatt’s mum has also set up a GoFundMe page for him. If you’d prefer to skip my cookbook and help this family directly, please do so at https://www.gofundme.com/support-wyatt . Your name will also go in the draw for this fantastic prize.

The only caveat is that I can only ship it to an Australian address.

Since I first heard about Wyatt’s plight, I’ve found out that his parents had to sell their wedding rings to fund their last medical trip, and are running a yard sale this weekend to get more money for their next appointment next weekend.

In short, their situation is dire, so please help in whatever way you can – even a $5 contribution to the GoFundMe page will qualify you for the Giveaway.

Thanks again for your support – you know I’m not the type to spam you with useless pleas and offers – so please spread the word and keep Wyatt’s family in your prayers.

*Originally published as a newsletter.

Here are some dishes I’ve managed to make using the Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro so far –

The post Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro Giveaway #HelpWyatt first appeared on Jackie M..

I know from the many, many private messages of support, that Noah has inspired you with his undeniable joie the vivre as you watch him grow up right before your eyes at the markets and on social media. I’m hoping that you’ll extend this goodwill towards another little boy halfway across the world in a small town in the USA.

Noah had 2 open heart surgeries and a bowel surgery, but what came closest to killing him was a condition called Hydrops Fetalis. There’s no fixed cure for hydrops because the cause varies, and the mortality rate is 90% (supposedly 100% in Noah’s case because of his Down Syndrome – though clearly he’s proven the doctors wrong).

In the last couple of years, I’ve been a member of a Hydrops Fetalis parent support group on Facebook, and frankly, it’s tough to know what to say or do in response to some of the posts because I know the prognosis is poor.

Two days ago, a young woman posted to ask for suggestions on how she could save up money for the ongoing medical expenses for her hydrops survivor baby son, Wyatt.

Wyatt is still very sick and doctors have yet to figure out what’s wrong with him.

Wyatt’s parents work full-time but have had to travel at least once a month to see specialists, and their health insurance does not cover their expenses. They live in a tiny town of less than 3000 people, so their access to local charities is limited.

Wyatt’s dad sold their wedding ring set to fund their last trip.

They are due to travel again in about ten days, ie. on what is Australia’s Mother’s Day weekend.

Other parents have suggested that Wyatt’s mom tries to sell t-shirts, but with the little time between now and their next appointment, I thought I could maybe jump in to help in what little way I can.

You may know I’ve got a cookbook that I published a couple of years ago, called Jackie M’s Truly Malaysian Street Food At Home. I’ve still got a couple of hundred copies in my garage and I’m happy to donate sales between now and next weekend towards Wyatt’s medical expenses.

Can I ask you to consider buying a copy – I’m not keeping a cent for myself – the only amount I’ll be deducting personally will be the postage cost of the book. I think it’ll make a half-decent Mother’s Day present, and I’d be happy to sign it if you request it in your order.

The book is only AUD$15 plus delivery.

I also have a digital download copy for AUD$9.90.

The link to buy it is here >> http://www.jackiemshop.com.au/product/jackie-m-truly-malaysian-street-food-at-home-mini-cookbook

Here’s the link to a quick video I made >> 

If you don’t care for my cookbook (whatevs :P) but would still like to support Wyatt, his mom has just set up a GoFundMe page where you can donate directly to the family >> https://www.gofundme.com/support-wyatt

I’ve taken the liberty of capturing some of the posts about Wyatt from when he was born, so you have an idea of what the parents have been going through. These are from the old Facebook page his parents set up >> https://www.facebook.com/Wyatts-wish-Hope-for-Hydrops-563760083798079

The latest updates are now on this new page >> https://www.facebook.com/wyattAngelino/

July 26, 2016
Prayer request needed. We are in route to Macon now chest X-ray confirmed our worst fears. The hydrops is back and worse than ever. Our fight continues we will never lose hope

July 26, 2016
Update Wyatt is in congestive heart failure they are running tests on him now

July 28, 2016
After more tests were ran we ruled out congestive heart failure but his liver is enlarged so more testing is required… We are waiting to get our date to go to Atlanta for the testing

August 22, 2016
Today is the big day X-ray in a few and then we meet the geneticist this afternoon. Hopefully we find answers so we can help little guy fight

September 9, 2016
We got a call from Atlanta today. The words were heartbreaking…. We need more blood…. So this means more needles more screams and still no answers. Wyatt has been in pain lately due to his liver we assume. As mommy I am highly frustrated with the fact we still don’t have answers but as a child of God I know He will take care of everything. Please keep our family in your prayers. We have a great support team and your prayers gives us more strength than ever.

October 6, 2016
Ok so I haven’t had the heart to post. This last trip to Atlanta we received a list of what they are looking for. We have it filtered down to a storage disease. So for sure its a storage disease. Now the question is which one? After talking with our genetic councilor, most of them are fatal. As of right now we are starting with 12. Out of those 12 7 are fatal in childhood…. 4 of them can be fatal but don’t always lead to death. 1 of them is not fatal but does cause blindness. As bad as I wanted answers I hope this last test doesn’t give them to us. Our little man isn’t so little. He is 3 1/2 months and is 17lb note when he was born he was 5lb15oz. I believe he is getting big and strong to fight a battle. Please pray for Wyatt.

February 1
Wyatt is being referred to a hepatologist in Atlanta his liver has increased in size again prayers please

I want to thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart, and PLEASE spread the word to family and friends who may be in a position to help.

Jackie M.

0425 797 718

(Originally sent as a newsletter to my mailing list.)

The post My Mother’s Day Wish – Please Help Wyatt first appeared on Jackie M..

The closest I’d gotten to joining a cruise was when I was approached by another cruise line a couple of years prior about doing a TV commercial for them. Their ship was due to set sail in 3 days, so I had to decline – not enough notice. I have to admit though, I’d since kicked myself a couple of times for turning them down. (ps. Any cruise companies out there still interested in securing my services, I’m all ears, )

I’ve compiled a 2.5-minute highlights video for those behind the campaign, so they can get a glimpse of how much we enjoyed ourselves.

I’m also hopeful it’ll give you an idea of what a Carnival Cruise is like, if like me, you’re a total cruise noob.

Here are some other details about our trip –

Destinations –

1. Isle of Pines
2. Lifou
3. Mare
4. Noumea

There was a change in the itinerary due to bad weather conditions (we were originally meant to go to Mystery Island, not Isle of Pines).

We were at sea for 4 days before making landfall.

Some (hopefully) useful info –

• On boarding day, you’ll be going through Customs and Immigration so you’ll need your passports, and you’ll have to fill out the outgoing passenger cards like what you get at the airport, and go through security.

• On arrival, you get cabin access cards that contain your ID and billing info, so you will be using the card not just to get into your room but also for all onboard purchases and when you get off the ship etc. You won’t need to carry any cash with you while on the ship.
• There’s a safety drill and briefing before the ship sails. This takes probably an hour or so, where you have to congregate at designated areas depending on the code on your access card.

• You get a newsletter delivered to your room daily, containing all the following day’s activities and any important announcements.
• You have 2 options re: mealtimes – you can have them at the buffet upstairs, or at the a la carte restaurant, Truffles, downstairs. Truffles’ menu consists of a mix of daily specials and permanent selections. NB Truffles’ breakfast/lunch hours vary from day to day, so make sure you check your newsletter to find out.

• As a solo traveller with an active toddler, I found it much easier to eat at Truffles than to navigate the buffet queues while trying to manage trays of food and Noah at the same time.

• For special occasions you can pay an optional $45 pp for a deluxe dinner at Nouveaux Restaurant on the top floor – with dishes like lobster and steak. It’s so good I went 4 times over the 10 day period.

• Internet access is bought on a 24-hour or full cruise basis ie. you can’t just pay for an hour’s access etc. even at the onboard internet cafe. The packages vary from “social media only” to “email and websites” to “video/Skype”. Only one device can be connected at a time. FYI you won’t be able to watch videos (eg. ones embedded in websites, or linked in social media posts) unless you have the premium package.

• Service on board the ship is exceptional, especially the staff at Truffles.

• “Tenders” refer to the boats they use to transfer you between the ship and the islands.

• Pack some elegant clothes; even on casual nights, I noticed most people liked to dress up for mealtimes. No flip-flops allowed in the restaurants.

• Back at Sydney Terminal at the end of your cruise, there’s no luggage trolleys to load your bags onto, after you’ve collected them. Weird, huh? I had to get a staff member to help with ours, since, apart from 2 sets of luggage I also had to push Noah in his stroller.

There you have it, hit me up if you have any questions, and once again, I want to thank the Inner West Mums FB group and Carnival Cruises for sending Noah and me on this fantastic adventure.

The post 10-Day Pacific Islands Cruise – Carnival Legend first appeared on Jackie M..

This is the interview I did on Studio Ten last Friday regarding baby Noah and the controversy about having him with me at my markets (I haven’t watched it; I steer clear of watching myself on TV). Noah was meant to have been in the studio with me but he was unusually unsettled that morning (typical!) so someone had to keep him company out in the courtyard. Thank you to everyone at Channel Ten for your patience and grace that morning in the face of a crying toddler

My heartfelt thanks also to everyone for your ongoing support and in particular to the incredible women at the Inner West Mums Facebook group who rallied together to raise funds that will be used by Carnival Cruises to give Noah and me a holiday.

In all honesty I’m a little embarrassed at the level of attention this has garnered, yet at the same time I am reminded of an early comment about the OGM story by someone who had similarly faced disability discrimination in her life. In exhorting me to return to the market, she said (I’m paraphrasing) – You can’t give up; you need to fight this. You have a voice. You need to speak for all of us.

This is why I posted about this latest incident, and why I agreed to the Inner West Mums’ offer of a free holiday. In doing so, I hope to help raise awareness about an issue faced by other parents, in particular those raising children with special needs.

The post Video – Baby Noah on Channel Ten’s Studio Ten first appeared on Jackie M..

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I’m very sorry to let you know that after having given it much thought, I’ve decided not to return to Orange Grove Market.

My smaller vehicle is just not capable of fitting all the equipment and food I need to bring to make OGM a viable proposition for me.

Some of you have asked why I don’t just hire a bigger van for Saturdays. That’s a fair question and the answer is the same as why I didn’t replace my old Hiace after it died on the way to another event awhile back (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh1m1Xnrf-0) with something similar – goods vans are not equipped for child seats and even after paying for expensive modifications, traffic cops are generally suspicious of them (I know – I was fined twice driving my old van with Noah in it).

Frankly, after 14 years, it’s time to move on. I’m still very active online creating food and travel content, plus I’ll be running the occasional pop-up lunch or dinner and cooking workshop, so I hope you’ll continue to keep in touch via this newsletter.

I’m not looking for another market per say though if you work someplace with a high concentration of people and open space where I can pop up my tent to serve your colleagues a CKT lunch every now and then, I would love to hear from you. For that to happen I would need to make two trips with my vehicle (in other words an early start like at OGM won’t work), plus I like to keep it simple (no special diet requests, sorry. Your paleo-dieting etc. friends will have to make their own arrangements).

Also, if there’s enough interest (let me know by replying to this email) I’ll make small batches of my curry pastes for delivery via courier within the Sydney metro area maybe once a fortnight.

Thanks again for your ongoing support, and I look forward to our paths crossing even if it’s only when I make the occasional visit to OGM as a customer

Jackie M.

The post I’m Not Going Back to Orange Grove Market first appeared on Jackie M..

A week is a long time in social media.

When I received the phonecall a week ago today about the pending complaint about baby Noah, I felt duty-bound to immediately inform my followers that I was going to quit my Saturday market.

I posted the announcement across my social media accounts and within an hour or two the mainstream media had caught hold of the story.

The market organisers saw my announcement at the same time as everyone else. They weren’t aware of the complaint because the phonecall did not come from them – it came from a well-meaning staff member on the ground at OGM who felt I should know that it was about to be lodged.

I was and still am a bit frustrated at the cloak of anonymity around this member of the public and the stallholders who had indicated they would support the complaint.

Frankly the way it was conveyed to me evoked images of metaphorical mobs with pitchforks – it was one thing to have some random person disapprove of the way I choose to raise my baby, but if I’d lost the support of my fellow stallholders, it did not seem tenable for me to continue trading.

My post last Friday titled Why I’m Quitting was written with that sense of paranoia hanging over me.

When I turned up the next day at OGM, I kept wondering who among the stallholders were responsible for wanting Noah removed. By the end of that Saturday, I had come to realise that the VAST majority of the stallholders at OGM in fact fully support Noah’s presence at the market.

Over the course of the last week I have been inundated with messages of support from the public.

I’ve had strangers email me offering to babysit Noah for free, people asking if they could start petitions, a surge in online orders from people who for all I know probably don’t even care for Malaysian food, and I’ve had three lawyers offering pro bono legal services.

I am completely humbled and touched by your support, and frankly quite stunned that my announcement could have received so much attention.

There have also been calls for people to boycott OGM. This is extremely unfortunate.

I don’t deny that there has been some mismanagement of the issue from the start. But to boycott the entire market because of one complainant and for all I know, just one or two stallholders, would be hugely unfair.

Too many good people rely on OGM for their livelihoods.

I’ve worked alongside some of them for over ten years. I remember the very first morning I showed up at OGM, I hit the (bacon and egg) Bowens’ station wagon with my decrepit van as I was pulling up to my stall space.

I was mortified that I was going to be in debt even before I started my new business venture, but Brendan Bowen took a look, shrugged his shoulders and went about the rest of his day like it never happened. Brendan and his wife Kate are some of the best, most hardworking people I’ve ever met in all my years of trading.

I remember I took in $180 in sales on my first day there. After rent there wasn’t even enough to pay the teenage kid from my church who I’d hired to help me at the stall. When I tried to pay Rudy at the end of the day, he adamantly refused to accept my money. (Over the next few years I would run the stall by myself until I could afford workers.)

I also discovered that Australians have no appetite for spicy curries for breakfast so the next week I repackaged them as frozen meals. I introduced Breakfast Roti aka Roti Kaya (ie. flaky flat bread spread with pandan jam) so I wouldn’t be twiddling my thumbs until lunchtime.

For the record “breakfast roti with kaya” isn’t a “thing” in Malaysia – it was the start of my journey towards what I’d like to call “adapting to local tastes”, or, what some Malaysian purists consider a bastardisation of their cuisine.

During the 7 months baby Noah was in the hospital, Anne the bookseller’s teenage son used to come over to say hello at my stall every morning. He too had spent an extended period in the ICU when he was born.

In my darkest days there was pressure from the medical staff for me to consider withdrawing treatment for Noah. They brought up the fact that it was more humane to let him expire than (among other things) to keep drawing blood from his bruised veins for more tests.

I asked Anne’s son once, whether he remembered or was traumatised by his early days in hospital. He laughed and said no, and that gave me new resolve to tell the doctors to throw the book at Noah as far as treatment was concerned. To this day I don’t know if Anne had urged him to come talk to me every morning to give me hope.

When baby Noah came out of hospital, Anne gave me a portable cot that she’d seconded from her own family, so I could keep him in it on market days.

The Arlingtons were getting updates about baby Noah even before he was discharged; they’re extremely fond of him, having watched him grow since he came home one week before Christmas 2012.

At least 50% of baby Noah’s wardrobe is made up of clothes from Brydie (Arlington) Derham’s own son – every few months she hands me bulging bagfuls of clothing for Noah.

Sandra, who runs the vegetable stall behind mine, helps take Noah off my hands for the best part of an hour every week – it took months of perseverance on her part because for reasons known only to Noah, he quite hilariously did not warm to her for the longest time, though they’re now like best buddies.

Beatrice from the hemp clothing stall put it most succinctly in the SBS news piece – the fact that people have no problems leaving their kids at childcare from 7am to 7pm while they go to work, leaving their kids to be raised by strangers, and yet they find issues with me bringing Noah to work with me.

Fourteen years is a long time to have run a stall at OGM, and I’ve come away with a lifetime of incredible memories and friendships.

The stallholders at OGM are good people. The OGM organisers have always supported their stallholders bringing their kids with them.

I, for one, plan to continue supporting the market wholeheartedly. For those who have been calling for boycott, I hope from the bottom of my heart you will reconsider.

Photos courtesy of the Orange Grove Market Facebook page.

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The post Why You Shouldn’t Boycott Orange Grove Market first appeared on Jackie M..