I've learned to live with my grief and use it to live a more fulfilled life and set an example for my children
- Amie Goodwin, mother of four
Amie Goodwin admits her life could have gone one of two ways following the tragic death of her son Romeo.
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"My son passing away was a perfectly acceptable reason to stop, but stopping would have been the easy option," Ms Goodwin said.
Romeo was five and a half months old when he passed away after being born prematurely and requiring life-saving surgeries, including open heart surgery and a tracheostomy.
Undertaking a Bachelor of Education at La Trobe University, Ms Goodwin's interest in educating special needs students was borne out of her desire to see children of all abilities succeed.
"Being a mum of a medically complex child, I was worried about how Romeo was going to attend school and what would happen if teachers simply didn't understand his situation," Ms Goodwin said.
"My circumstances have motivated me to fully embrace and support students like Romeo and get them through life."
Originally from Barham in New South Wales, Ms Goodwin moved to Bendigo in 2016, and soon commenced her degree.
As her life circumstances changed, so did the motivations for pursuing a career in primary education.
"Initially, education interested me because it's a secure line of work and would allow me to provide for my children," Ms Goodwin said.
"My goal now has definitely shifted.
"I want to be a great teacher for children that are just a little bit different."
With a year until graduation, Ms Goodwin is already working within Violet Street Primary School's Programme for Students with Disabilities team.
Violet Street Primary School principal Mandy Costello called education support workers like Amie, "pure gold".
"The program provides students with varying levels of one-on-one support to help students with any sort of disability access the classroom curriculum," Mrs Costello said.
"The beauty is that students are able to work as independently as possible in the classroom alongside their peers."
Ms Goodwin cherishes her role in the classroom and said she was always searching for a way to give back.
"I think no mother has a greater passion than the passion she has for her children," she said.
"My son fought so hard and his story has inspired so many that I don't want it to stop.
"His life was short, but I want his story to be the greatest."
Mrs Costello said the challenge of any classroom program is to get the activities "just right" for any learner.
"It may mean breaking down tasks into smaller pieces, presenting activities in a tactile or visual way or modifying tasks to build success," she said.
"Teachers are very good at doing this everyday for their students, but with the support of staff such as Amie, activities can be adjusted daily and the learning continues."
Since Romeo's passing, Ms Goodwin has remained committed to completing her studies, despite financial, mental and emotional stressors.
"I've learned to live with my grief and use it to live a more fulfilled life and set an example for my children," Ms Goodwin said.
"They have seen me struggle and grieve and then seen me get back up and keep going, striving for better and working to create great things for our family."
Ms Goodwin's resilience has motivated her to succeed.
Lifeline Central Victoria and Mallee chief executive Rebecca Cornish said resilience is often developed through talking.
"Grief can be an incredibly lonely experience for people and just having someone listen can really help," Ms Cornish said.
There are a range of strategies people can employ to deal with grief and loss, such as engaging in positive memories of their loved one and setting small, realistic goals.
"Joining a support group and looking for opportunities for positivity and personal growth can help to create a new meaning and purpose," Ms Cornish said.
"This may be supporting someone else, being part of a foundation or volunteering for a support service."
Since Romeo's passing, Ms Goodwin has channeled some of her energy into a newborn medicine group that strives to improve the outcomes of all children.
"I am part of a consumer advisory group where medical staff work to improve the outcomes of premature newborns," Ms Goodwin said.
The advisory group, facilitated by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute's Centre of Research Excellence, is comprised of world leading doctors and researchers, as well as consumers, who are people that have been born preterm or sick themselves, or are a parent of a baby born preterm of sick.
Centre of Research Excellence consumer engagement coordinator Renae Allen said researchers recognise the importance and value of those with lived experience of neonatal care.
"The Newborn Medicine Consumer Advisory Group was established in early 2019 and meets with researchers four times a year to contribute to and provide feedback on all areas of our research," Ms Allen said.
"The group has only been going a little over a year, but has come together to establish research priorities and advising us of the most effective methods of communicating our research to the community."
As she embarks on her final year of study, Ms Goodwin has some clear goals in mind.
"I would love to one day be able to educate other teachers and tell my story and help with their development in the classroom," she said.
"I've been taught so much about special needs learners and it goes beyond just learning difficulties."
As an education support worker, Ms Goodwin is already marking a difference.
"Amie's work might be in the classroom, at specialist lessons or in the playground," Mrs Costello said.
"The program successfully supports a range of students in primary schools across the Bendigo region."
Ms Goodwin's journey both as a student and soon to be teacher hasn't gone unrecognised at La Trobe University, where she recently received the Flo Robinson Education Memorial Bursary.
The bursary is awarded to students from regional Victoria undertaking studies in education.
It was established from an initial donation by the late Miss Flo Robinson OAM, former principal of Kangaroo Flat Primary School.
You can access Lifeline by calling 13 11 14 (24 hours, 7 days) or chat to a crisis supporter via text on 0477 13 11 14 (6pm-midnight).
