We are calling on the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board to reconsider its request to remove the memorial sandbox and special belongings from the resting place of Tidus George Alder at Rockingham Regional Memorial Park.

On 19 October 2022, our beautiful little boy, Tidus George Alder, entered our lives and forever changed them.

Although our time with Tidus was heartbreakingly short, our love for him will last a lifetime.

Recently, our family received an email from the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board requesting that we remove Tidus' yellow memorial sandbox and several of his treasured belongings from his resting place within 28 days.

This request has left our family absolutely devastated.

To others, it may look like a yellow sandbox filled with toys. To us, it represents a childhood our little boy never had the opportunity to experience.

It is filled with toy trucks, decorations and little treasures, each carefully chosen and placed with love. These are the things we imagine Tidus would have enjoyed as he grew.

It is where we visit to feel close to our son. It is where his little sisters, Tululah and Valyntina, can bring their big brother special treasures and build a connection with the brother they never had the chance to grow up alongside.

For parents who have lost a child, grief does not end. Neither does the love, the need to nurture or the desire to continue being their mum and dad.

Creating and caring for Tidus' memorial is one of the few ways we can continue to parent our little boy. Every toy we place, every decoration we arrange and every visit we make is an expression of a love that has nowhere else to go.

This is not simply about a sandbox. It is about grief, remembrance, family connection and the importance of having a meaningful place to honour a child who should still be here.

We recognise that cemeteries must operate within policies and regulations to ensure the safety, maintenance and respectful presentation of memorial grounds.

We are not seeking to disregard these responsibilities.

Instead, we are asking for compassion, understanding and a willingness to work collaboratively with our family to explore a reasonable solution that allows Tidus' memorial to remain while addressing any legitimate safety or maintenance concerns.

What we are asking
We respectfully call on the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board to:

Reconsider the decision requiring the removal of Tidus' yellow memorial sandbox and treasured belongings.
Pause the 28-day removal requirement to allow meaningful discussions with our family.
Meet with our family to explore practical alternatives or reasonable modifications that would allow Tidus' memorial to remain.
Recognise the emotional significance of children's memorial spaces and the important role they play in helping bereaved parents, siblings and families maintain connections with their loved ones.
We believe that compassion and cemetery requirements can coexist.

Our family has already experienced the unimaginable heartbreak of losing our little boy. The possibility of losing the precious space we have lovingly created for him adds another layer of grief to a loss we carry every single day.

Tidus never had the opportunity to play with his trucks, enjoy his toys or make childhood memories with his sisters.

His memorial is one of the few places where we can continue creating memories with him.

We are asking our friends, family and wider community to stand beside us and show the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board how much these spaces mean to families grieving the loss of a child.

💜 Please sign and share this petition 💚
Your signature is a show of support for a compassionate resolution that allows Tidus' memory to be honoured in a way that is meaningful to his family.

We cannot change what happened to our little boy, but together, we hope we can protect the special place where his memory continues to live.

Forever our little boy. Forever our mighty warrior. 💜💚🚀

Tidus George Alder
19.10.2022
Loved beyond words, missed beyond measure.