The father of a toddler killed when she was accidentally run over in her family’s driveway vows never to take life for granted again.
Preston Ellis built a simple, heartbreakingly-small wooden coffin in his Perth garage as a last act of love for his 19-month-old daughter Aurora.
As he hammered and sanded with tears in his eyes, his thoughts were haunted by mental images of the little girl lying dead in front of him.
Mr Ellis’ wife Lara is inconsolable – she was behind the wheel of the family’s Toyota Land Cruiser as it backed out of their driveway about 5.15pm on Saturday.
Preston Ellis mourned the death of his 19-month-old daughter Aurora, who was killed when her mother accidentally ran her over in their driveway
The shattered tradie begged friends and family to appreciate the life they have and not ‘sweat the small stuff’, as it can be gone in a minute.
‘Today please breathe, please appreciate the air in your lungs,’ he said in a heartbreaking tribute on Thursday morning.
‘Please slow down and notice everything the rain drops on leaves the warmth from a cup of coffee. Please hug who you love and hold them so very tight and kiss their heads for me.’
Mr Ellis called Aurora’s death a ‘bulls**t tragic accident’ and detailed the trauma it wreaked on his young family.
‘My memories are haunted with images of my baby no parent should have ever seen,’ he said.
‘I built my lady’s coffin yesterday, my last act of love. I’m glad I could but it sucks that I had to.’
Mr Ellis built a simple, heartbreakingly small wooden coffin in his Perth garage as a last act of love, while haunted by mental images of the little girl lying dead in front of him
Mr Ellis said Aurora’s death brought life into perspective for him, and promised it would compel him to live a better one.
‘Today don’t let the smalls**t get to you please, I beg you. I let the some small s**t get to me but now I wont,’ he said.
‘Love like its your last hug cause like me it just might be. Be good to each other.
‘May my Aurora be my aurora in my night sky and yours, illuminating all yours and my darkness. Spread love please not hatred, even if just for one day.’
It is believed the toddler walked out on to the driveway in the eastern Perth suburb of Bayswater but was not seen by the her mother behind the wheel.
Matt Rann, a friend of the toddler’s parents Preston and Lara, created a GoFundMe page on behalf of the devastated family.
It is believed Aurora walked out on to the driveway in the eastern Perth suburb of Bayswater but was not seen by the her mother behind the wheel
‘Preston and Lara are the most genuine, giving and caring people around and now it’s our turn to help them in the most generous way we can,’ he wrote.
The fundraising page was launched to ease the financial burden on the family. It has has raised more than $35,000 in just three days.
‘This beautiful family need time to mourn and surround each other in love, without having the financial burdens of daily life and work commitments weighing on their minds,’ Mr Rann wrote.
‘We are hoping to raise enough money to help them celebrate Aurora’s life and help pay the bills so they can grieve together, for as long as is needed.’
Mr Rann referred to Roman Mythology, where Aurora is known as the ‘goddess of dawn’.
‘May you continue to be light wherever there is darkness, and every sunrise be powerful reminder of your existence for the whole world to see!’ he wrote.
The little girl’s mum was reversing her Toyota LandCruiser Troop Carrier (pictured) on Saturday
Mr Rann said Mr Ellis described his one-year-old daughter ‘the little sun that shines so bright’, Perth Now reported.
‘She was known as Dad’s little tradie assistant, he referred to her as, with her name meaning ‘goddess of the dawn,’ he referred to her as his little star, or his little sun, that shines so bright,’ Mr Rann said.
Western Australia Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner.