Students and staff at two Dubbo catholic schools are trying to come to terms with the unexpected death of a “beautiful little girl” from Dubbo this week.
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Bessie Haycock died unexpectedly on Tuesday evening at the age of four, after being
rushed to a Sydney hospital
when she became sick at the weekend.
She was one of 10 children in a family described as giving, loving and beautiful by two Dubbo principals.
John Wagner and Warren Frew have extended their sympathy to the Haycocks, a family that “gives their heart and soul” to the school community.
“They are a very special family,” St Mary’s Primary School principal Mr Wagner, who has known the family for 24 years, said yesterday.
“They contribute so much to our school.
“Bessie was a beautiful little girl ... she had a great love of life and she will be sadly missed.”
Five of Bessie’s siblings currently attend St Mary’s and Bessie was due to begin there either next year or the year after, Mr Wagner said.
“Her death was very unexpected, everyone is shocked,” he said.
“Three of the children have already come through the school and five are here at the moment. They are such a lovely family.”
Three of the Haycock children attend St John’s College at the moment.
“It’s a very difficult time, this is such a tragedy,” principal Mr Frew said.
“There’s a lot of support at the school for the family and for students here.
“We had a prayer service for Bessie, a lot of the staff are very upset as well.
“(The Haycocks) are just such a lovely family.”
St Mary’s had a liturgy for the family and Bessie on Wednesday, Mr Wagner said.
“All our wishes and prayers go out to the family and our thoughts are with them.”
Bessie’s mother, Jacinta, is a former teacher at St Mary’s Primary School and her father, Andy, works at St John’s.
“Obviously it’s a really hard time for this family,” Mr Frew said.
