One special mum we’ve been watching with great interest is Amanda Burns, who last weekend lopped off her very long hair as part of a fundraising effort. Her daughter, Holly, suffers from Vanishing White Matter Leukodystrophy, a rare disease about which very little is known. Amanda has set a target of $10,000 to go towards research and, hopefully, treatment. Amanda’s determination to help her daughter is emblematic of motherhood and ought to be celebrated.

Mothers were top of mind for the committee pushing to have birthing services returned to Milton Hospital. This week marked the second anniversary of births being stopped at Milton. The stumbling block now seems to be attracting an obstetrician to the district.

One mother in particular grabbed community attention early in the week. When Susan Loch, who lost her daughter Jess seven years in an accident on the Princes Highway, addressed the Ulladulla and Districts Community Forum on Monday night, she had everyone’s undivided attention. Susan added her voice to the Princes Highway FIX IT NOW campaign and enlisted the forum’s support.

Mums across the nation, who tend to manage household pursestrings, kept a close eye on the federal budget. We spoke to Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis to get the rundown on how the electorate fared.

And mums – and daughters and sisters and aunts – in Bawley Point will help out this weekend to help with a concrete pour for the pathway between the town and Kioloa. This is a great community initiative we should all be proud of.

Catch you next week.