Teuila's touching tribute 'WITH LOVE TO MY MUM'

In her own words, the actress opens up about sharing the last prcious days with her mother

It has been a year since her mother Auali’itia Su’a Levaopolo Martha Schwalger-Blakely died. Actress and writer Teuila Blakely reflects on the pain of the loss and the enduring power of love.

Mama, 

Last year, about 2am on January 13, my phone rang. I always put my phone on silent at night, so I was surprised that this time I’d forgotten. Being my birthday, I wanted to get enough rest for my party that day. It was totally odd.

Seeing it was my parents’ landline, I immediately felt uneasy. My mum had been ill for some time with heart issues and had noticeably gone downhill over the busy festive season. Dad was on the phone saying he’d tried to call an ambulance to take Mum into hospital but there were none available.

 

I jumped in the shower and made my way over to Mum’s in minutes. (I must note that I showered because one of the many things my mum instilled in me is to never, ever leave the house without showering first. She would want people to know that I did.)

When I walked in, Mum was sitting in a chair. She turned and smiled at me and said, “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” I wanted to cry right there and then. There was a foreboding sense of dread that I was trying to ignore.

The ambulance service explained the only way to get my mum to the hospital anytime soon was to take her in myself. I was able to help get Mum into the car and we headed to Auckland Hospital.