When Greg and Angela Brooke took their three children down to the Royal Easter Show in 2007, they had no idea their youngest daughter would suffer an illness that would almost claim her life and leave her requiring 24-hour care.
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Georgina was a happy and healthy eight-year-old before being struck down by a virus and effectively slipping into a coma.
Before her parents had time to even process it, they were being told by doctors that Georgie would die.
"It seemed the virus triggered something like meningitis or encephalitis. She ended up in intensive care with the doctors telling us in a fairly short period of time there was no hope for her to live. She was on life support and she started getting seizures a couple of days after she went into the coma," Angela said.
"She had every kind of illness while we were there, she had pancreatitis and came close to death many times. The doctors put a lot of pressure on us to turn off life support and in the end they said they were going to turn off her life support, that her life wasn't really worth living."
However even then Georgie continued to breathe.
"She's still alive, that's a miracle a thousand times over and the support we have had from family and friends is incredible. You don't do something like this without help."
- - Angela Brooke
She spent a year in intensive care before being transferred to a ward, before a further six months at Dubbo.
Georgie defied the doctors again when she was able to leave hospital altogether and return home.
It was a tough time for the family and they struggled to accept what had happened.
"The difficult thing was that Georgie was a really beautiful, special, intelligent girl. Everything a parent could want in a child. She loved playing the piano, she was top of her grade for most of her subjects, she loved school and she loved people, she had a lot of friends," Angela said.
"Here we are down the track, seven and a half years after Georgie got sick. It's not the life I chose for her. We would have chosen a very different life but it's the life we have been given.
"She's still alive, that's a miracle a thousand times over and the support we have had from family and friends is incredible. You don't do something like this without help. You don't have the wherewithal psychologically or physically to get through."
They have had a number of challenges they have to overcome as they look to ensure Georgie gets the care she requires.
"Going on holidays or doing anything as a family is basically impossible. Georgie can't really go anywhere. All we have is trips down to the children's hospital. We've had a few holidays but they are hard work. We still can't go out as a family, someone has to look after Georgie," Angela said.
"It is isolating. When Georgie got sick some people who I thought were good friends quietly bowed out of our lives but yet we have this lovely group of people who have surrounded us and showed compassion and care.
"It is confronting for people to see Georgie, especially if they knew her before but I'm proud of her friends who have come to visit and sit beside her bed and read to her. I don't know if Georgie has any awareness of us but it's been a huge encouragement for us."
Australian Story in the Garden is the brainchild of Dr Andrew and Karen Moreton, who want people to hear the challenges others have to face and also provide families with a platform to pass on their knowledge and experiences.
Karen has helped the Brooke family to look after Georgie and said they are the ideal family to kick off the project.
The inaugural Australian Story in the Garden will be held from 6.15pm on Saturday, November 1 at 11R Wilfred Smith Drive in Firgrove Estate.
Anyone is welcome to attend and should bring their own seating and snacks.