The Casey family’s reunion story
My name is Patrick Casey and I’m from Normanton QLD. I have four brothers and one sister, their names are Shane, Leeroy, Seon, Dexter and Roberta. My oldest brother Shane who lives in New Zealand was taken away from our birth mother Carolyn at birth and she never knew what happened to him. In 2011 Mum contacted Link- Up (Qld) who finally found her long lost son. She also found out that he has two kids of his own, their names were Leilani and Dion.
Mum, my brothers and sister and myself have never been able to meet Shane in person and have only had contact with him by phone calls, texts and Facebook. A while back I found out that Shane’s children had moved to Australia and lived in Brisbane with their mum and their stepfather. So, I contacted Link-Up (Qld) and applied to become a client so that they could help me find my niece and nephew and see if they would be able to come up to Normanton and meet their father’s family.
In January 2021 Link-Up (Qld) brought our kids home to finally meet their biological family.
Many of us were at the airport to meet the plane when it arrived at Normanton airport and my mother Carolyn, and Grandmother were overwhelmed to meet their Grandchildren after all these years.
It was a weekend of mixed emotions for the family as after all the lost years we had made a physical connection to our brother Shane through his children.
We spent the whole weekend together with the kids, and our extended family celebrated the children’s Great Grandmother Jen’s 73rd birthday on the weekend. It bought her so much joy having Dion and Leilani spending the day with her.
We took the kids out fishing and cooking on the open fire, Aunty Roberta also made them Johnny cakes and we cooked rib bones and fish on the coals. Then we took them sightseeing around town.
Dion and Leilani spent their whole reunion with the family and on behalf of my whole family, I would love to thank Link-Up (Qld) for his lovely Reunion. We loved and enjoyed having Dion and Leilani here with us.
And now we miss them and look forward to seeing them again. Thank You Sloane, Anne and our Link-Up (Qld) family.
Patrick Casey
My name is Dion Troy and I was born and raised in Christchurch, NZ where my birth Dad was stolen by birth and adopted out to my granny Rayleene who then moved to New Zealand where my granny raised him.
I moved to Australia in 2012 and had little contact with my birth father. We started a new life with my mother, siblings and step father. Through my last years in schooling I attended Hymba Yumba where I began to learn of my culture, wanting to know of my family and how deep my roots grow. I was able to make action through my school connecting with Link-Up (Qld). This made the connection between me and my family possible.
In early January 2021, I began my journey to Normanton, Qld with my sister and Anne and Sloane from Link-Up (Qld) to meet my great family. In Normanton I felt pride and I was also grateful to be one with my family.
Those memories are the first of many to come. Thanks to Link-Up (Qld) I know my way back home.
Dion Troy
Published March 2021.