A Thurgoona mum’s personal crusade to support women’s mental health has seen her rocket to No.2 position on a national fundraising campaign.
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Bailee Smith, who has suffered the devastating loss of two baby girls mid-pregnancy, decided to help encourage other women to “Kiss Away The Blues” by wearing wild and wacky lipstick every day during September.
On Friday, her Butterfly Kisses team was still sitting in number two spot on the Liptember leaderboard with nearly $5600 raised.
The Tallangatta school teacher has been empowered by the support of family and friends proudly sporting prettily painted lips to add their voices to the cause.
On March 21, 2018 Bailee delivered tiny daughter Georgia at just 22 weeks of age; she died in her mother’s arms.
It was an almost unbelievable blow after losing their first daughter, Lucy, at just 21 weeks of age on July 29, 2011.
Bailee said she joined Liptember to give her grief some purpose and support other mums facing a similar anguished journey.
“I’m trying to be brave and I’m just going to talk out loud,” she said.
“Baby loss is still largely a grief that can’t be spoken and I want other mums to know they are not alone.”
On September 15 Bailee presented two memorial trophies at the Wodonga Spring Dance Festival (organised by her dance teacher mum) to honour her cherished babies.
Before the presentations, the brave mum shared a little of her story with hundreds of young dancers, their families and friends at the Wodonga Sports & Leisure Centre.
“I explained that I came each year to present Lucy’s trophy, that she would have been 7 this year and I would have been one of the dance mums in this room,” Bailee said.
“You couldn’t hear even a sniffle in the auditorium and at the end of the talk I had chosen to play a song from Georgia’s funeral, 1000 Years by Christina Perri.
“Everyone poured onto the floor and danced to Georgia’s song – it was overwhelming.”
With $645 raised in gold coin donations alone on the day, an emotional Bailee presented Lucy’s trophy for the U-8 Best Performed Theatrical Dance to Millie Prentice and later Georgia’s inaugural U-16 trophy to Indi Maynard.