2 ...brought to you by the first-ever Mazda CX3. Tonight on Sunday ` dog bites child. How many times a week do you reckon that happens? I just remember my whole head inside its mouth. What do you think the dog was trying to do to Frankie? Kill her. Scarred for life,... They are similar to war wounds, you know. ...why are our children bearing the brunt of the bites? It's our job to protect our babies, our children, and I think we're failing. Why won't John Key's government front up? But surely the statistics are speaking for themselves. Happy birthday. 50 years old this week. ALL: Cheers. ARCHIVE: The chances of such a birth were 42 million to one. We loved the Lawson quins. It was more a thrill than anything else. But we never really knew what went on when the public was not watching. We said that was enough. 'There was no way you're going to beat our mum any more.' I think I was saved for the murder. I think I was saved for that. Here we go. They lived their lives as strangers ` four brothers and sisters who found each other against all odds. < Aw, the four of you together. Whether you guys come with me or not, I'm going. We all go. There will never be one again. Now united in a new quest. So we've got a photo. You got that? It's actually amazing. Captions by Anne Langford. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. It's our national shame. 27 seven people are bitten each day by dogs. And they're only the ones we know about. But what's most disturbing is that a third of the most brutal attacks are on our children. Tonight, Sunday reveals shocking new research into dog bites, and we hear from a very brave little girl and her family. Just a warning, this story contains graphic images. Here's Libby Middlebrook. GIRLS SQUEAL I will be going down the rope. Well, you've got the reminder there every day, so you can't... you can't forget. We see her, and the light hits her face a certain way and you go, 'Oh.' You just don't want her to feel... maimed. Frankie Narbey was just starting to make her way in the world ` a chubby-faced little toddler. She didn't stand a chance. These dogs were just so feral. What do you think the dog was trying to do to Frankie? Kill her. Shredding her perfect face in a split second. The dog tried to eat me. I just remember my whole head inside its mouth. And when Frankie says to me, 'Mum, when's this scar going? You know, I have to go, 'It's not going. 'This is, you know, this is what it looks like.' What happened to Frankie should have been a one-off random attack. But here in NZ, dog bites have become an epidemic. And it's our youngest children who are suffering the most. That was, I think, when the penny really dropped and I just realised, 'Oh my God, we're just a statistic now.' It was an ordinary day: Suzie Thorp, at home juggling a baby and a toddler about to turn 3. Frankie had started to say, 'Can I go over and play with the kids next door, can I, Mum, can I?' And I had a 1-, well, a nearly 1-year-old, and it's like, 'Ooooh, yeah, great.' What did you know about their pets? They had a dog but it passed, a very much loved family pet, and they replaced it with two puppies, and I suppose I was thinking, 'She's got children in the house. They're a nice family. 'They wouldn't put anyone in danger.' Less than an hour later, there was a frantic knock at the door from the neighbour's daughter. And she said, 'Something's gone wrong.' And I was like, 'Oh God, what does wrong mean?' So I went belting over there and ran inside and, um... Can we just stop for a sec before I keep going? Frankie had been viciously attacked ` bitten on the cheek, almost right the way through. It was just flapping. She also had nicks on her body, where its legs had tried to, you know, rip her. It must have been terrible to see her in a state like that. It's horrific. Yep. And I just remember running out of the door and just screaming at the top of my lungs a bad word, just... Frankie wasn't even playing with the dog at the time ` a 2-year-old bulldog Staffy cross. She was playing with the children, but she was hyped up and being silly, and she'd taken her clothes off, and she was rolling around on the floor, and without a growl, without a bark, one of them attacked her. Locking on to her face, its jaws had to be prised apart. It was not a snap and let go, it was really trying to destroy her. The outcome could have been a lot worse. It could have been death. It took four hours of surgery and 150 stitches to piece Frankie's face back together. I remember just those... just the fangs and the horrid face. I felt terrified but I never cried. Frankie, you're a very brave girl. Thanks. It's amazing how resilient children are. I have to say, children generally are some of the most resilient people I have ever met. Just lift your head up for me. And Zac Moaveni meets them at their most vulnerable. Do you know, I think I'm fairly battle-hardened, and, you know, I've seen quite a bit in my time,... Right, so you have to kind of decide where... ...but somehow dog bite injuries just really... I just don't think you can ever get used to them. He's a leading plastic surgeon at Middlemore Hospital where Frankie was admitted. Here dog bites on children have become an unwelcome specialty. It's just absolutely heart-breaking seeing ... young victims of dog bites coming in, you know, month after month. Very similar scenarios. Like Frankie, usually bitten in a home and on the face. We all have this image of dogs as these beautiful family pets, fluffy, gorgeous, playing with the kids, and that's what they are most of the time, but, unfortunately, there is the other side. What are the nature of the injuries that you're seeing? I have seen things that, you know, if I had to see again, I don't know if I'd be doing my job for much longer. A 7-year-old girl is in a critical condition tonight... Zac was the lead plastic surgeon on the young girl mauled in Murupara, with 100 bites to her body, something he can't talk about out of respect for her family. Unfortunately, with dog bites they're similar to war wounds, you know, to ballistic impact of bullets. The amount of tissue damage that it does is huge. And this is in children? And this is in children. And do you know what? The next time a child comes in with a dog-bite injury, there's another child that we could have prevented... So this is the... Increasingly frustrated, Zac decided to act. We wanted to know what's going on with dog bites in NZ. Last year he began a national study into dog bites with medical student Jonathan Mair. So that table essentially tells me that, you know, the incidents over the last 10 years has gone up. It is much higher than it used to be. The numbers are staggering. More than 10 people a week admitted to hospital with serious injuries. It's more than one a day. It's incredible. Yeah, it really is. It's absolutely incredible. DOG BARKS One of the highest rates, Zac says, in the Western world, and children are bearing the brunt. Basically, your typical dog-bite victim would be a child in the zero to 4 age group, Maori, the child would come from a low socio-economic area. Why is that? Are you angry about it? It does make me angry that our most innocent members of society, our children, are suffering horrible, unimaginable terror. It's our job to protect our babies, our children, and I think we're failing. Failure that has terrible consequences for families. I think it's when it all comes crashing down on you that you've put your child in an unsafe place. Did you feel responsible? Yep. Do you still feel responsible now? I think there was a disconnect between what I did and what I knew. Suzie knew her neighbour's dog had bitten before. I believed the dogs were outside dogs, but I didn't follow through with that. I didn't ensure that the dogs were outside on that day when my daughter was in that house. And, you know, that is something that I have to live with. That must be a heavy weight to carry, Suzie. Yeah, yeah. (BARKS) Coming up,... I see them behind the fence,... Why are our children being attacked? ...and I think, 'If you get out you're gonna do some serious, serious damage.' And the friendship healing Frankie and her family. We love it! T I do really love dogs. Get! Get! No matter what you do wrong, they're always happy to see you. Well, my one is, anyway. But after years on the road, Claire Allmon doesn't always like what she sees. I see them behind the fence and I think, 'Oh my goodness, if you get out, 'you're going to do some serious, serious damage.' She works on the front line in our biggest city... Despatch from 148. ...as an animal management officer. I don't like dealing with the aggressive dogs, if I'm honest. Yeah. Well, you've got good reason, haven't you? I think so. (WHISTLES) Two years ago, Claire was attempting to remove an unregistered cross-breed. I said, 'Can you put the dog in the van for me, please?' And he yelled at me and said, 'If you want the effing dog, take the effing dog yourself.' The dog was unchained. She flicked over a lead. And it wasn't nasty or anything, it just came forward and sniffed around my legs a bit, and then I remember looking down and the dog looked straight at me in the eyes, and just launched at my face. Ripping off her chin. And all this blood just starting dripping into my hand. Wow. It's quite confronting. Yeah. Far out. And you can see where the teeth have ripped through... And look at you! You're smiling. Why are you smiling? I'm on morphine. (LAUGHS) Hi, Claire. Hello. Nice to see you. Yes, and you. It's been a while. Claire's had two operations ` her new chin thanks to the delicate work of Zac Moaveni,... How's life treating you? Uh, pretty good. ...a plastic surgeon who's been researching serious dog bites. You look great. It looks` The contour looks really good. I think that the tragedy with dog bites is that you can never go back to where the person started from. Underneath your chin, it looks great, doesn't it? Does it bother you, Claire, your scar? I was just annoyed, really, that it had happened, but it didn't really bother me. People can take me for who I am and I don't really care. For Claire, it's affected her in other profound ways. She's leaving her job. When I used to start my day, I used to be so excited. I'd get out there. I'd think, 'Ooh, I wonder what I'm gonna come across today?' And now I think, 'What am I gonna come across?' Has it made you frightened of dogs? I wouldn't say frightened of dogs, cos I still absolutely love dogs, but I'm very cautious. A guarded approach she wishes everyone would adopt, especially children. Good morning, everybody, my name is Janet, and I'm here to have a chat to you guys about how to stay safe around dogs. They're pre-schoolers at Ferndale Kindergarten, at the age most at risk of horrific dog bites. Should I do this? CHILDREN: Nooo. No? What do you think might happen? CHILDREN: Bite. He might bite. Education programmes like this run up and down the country. I think that people should educate their children and actually take responsibility for their dogs, because if they did, we wouldn't really have an issue. Let him sniff your hand. Very good. Clearly, whatever we're doing to control it isn't working. Do you think that this is a breed-related problem? I'm not an expert on dogs and dog breeds, but I can tell you this ` the dogs that, not only bite, but they tear the victim, they maul the victim, they brutalise the victim, are a specific breed of dogs. Yet rather than focusing on dangerous breeds, Zac's calling for a more comprehensive debate. I'd really like us to be able to stop pointing the finger at each other, at the dogs, at the children, at the owners. He wants an urgent government review into the way dog control laws are working. Why is that not happening? How can we just be horrified every time a new victim comes to light but then just move on from it? We wanted to put those questions to associate local government minister Louise Upston to ask her why three kids a week in NZ are hospitalised with serious dog bite injuries. But the Minister refused to front up, telling us she didn't have time to be interviewed for this story. Do you think that we're failing our kids? I think we are absolutely failing our kids. READS: 'They were all at home with Julian, Dick and Annie. 'Julian was the oldest ` a tall, sturdy boy with a strong and pleasant face.' It is wonderful to hear you reading so confidently. You're very good at it. What goes through your mind every time you see another dog attack in the media? It takes us back to that moment, and then our hearts just go out to the parents, you know. It's, yeah... Their daughter Frankie, bitten on the cheek when she was almost 3, is now 7 years old. How do you think Frankie sees herself? Um, I think she has no doubts about her own uniqueness. Why are pirates called pirates? 'Cause they arrrrrr! Yeah, she's really confident in her looks. Yeah, I think she's fine. And increasingly comfortable with dogs. She has a new pet ` a puppy called Dusty. We just thought now might be the time for her to have a special little friend. It's mostly a love affair. How do you feel about dogs, Frankie? Do they scare you any more? No, but now I know what to do around dogs. Do you? What do you do, sweetheart? Ask the owner for permission. Always put your hand out so it can sense you, and never annoy it. We love dogs. We're like everyone else. But surely the statistics are speaking for themselves. This should never happen. It should never happen. That's great advice from Frankie. Always ask for permission before patting someone's dog. Local government minister Louise Upston sent us a statement telling us she's asked the Department of Internal Affairs to take a look at Zac's research. Minister Upston said a recent assessment of dog control laws concluded it was unclear whether any changes would better protect the public. She said the most important contributor to public safety was good dog ownership. Later, you won't want to miss the moving end to these orphans' lifelong journey. Love youse all, eh. Do you forgive your mother? 100%. But up next, what the public didn't see. The Lawson quins turned 50 this week, and they were ready to tell us all. He was hiding behind Nana's concrete wall. I saw him lift the gun up with one arm and he shot her. The shotgun blast sent her 3m or 4m. I saw her lying there. There was blood everywhere. There was brains. It was just horrific. Welcome back. 50 years ago, Anne Lawson stunned NZ when she gave birth to quins. The Lawson quins ` Samuel, Lisa, Deborah, Shirlene and Selina. They're alive and well, but their mother is not. She was murdered by their stepfather. The domestic violence the quins endured as children deeply scarred the famous five, but at 50, they're able to talk about what happened when the public wasn't watching. Here's John Hudson. Happy birthday, Lisa, Samuel, Deborah, Shirlene and, of course, myself. Cheers. ALL: Cheers, self. The quins at 50. Well, four of them. We're still the same, but we're not smoking cigarettes. The sisters are still close. The little one who popped out last. (LAUGHS) But brother Samuel is now in Australia. And I think we need to do a 'cheers' for Sam, and that we're thinking of him and that we love him with all our hearts. Sam is still hurting. I could see it. Yeah. Yeah. Since Mum died, he's never been the same. Never been the same. The Lawson quins were resilient from the start. Born at 33 weeks, they're thought to be just the third set of quins in the world to have survived,... ARCHIVE: The chances of such a birth were 41 million to one. ...and the first quins born after fertility treatment. They'll be news for a long time. I think it was really more of a thrill than anything else because I had been almost five years without having another child after having my baby. Sam Lawson was a little more apprehensive. Well, it was a shock. We expected four and then the other one turned up. At first everyone wanted a slice of the action. There were gifts and sponsorships... See how they grew on Robinson's, bouncing with health. ...and women's magazine covers. They got help with the feeding and nappies from two Karitane nurses, and eventually, with the help of a special government loan, they moved to a new home in the country. Mrs Lawson, how long have you been preparing for this move? I would say for nearly four or five weeks now. But increasingly Sam Lawson was withdrawing from the media spotlight and his own family. I remember Dad being there. I remember dad leaving. He was hopeless. When Sam left Ann for one of her best friends, the quins were just 6. Do you think having children all at once was a massive shock for him? Oh, I would say so. Given his personality, I'd say so. Personally, I don't think he could cope. I'm not making excuses for his affair or him leaving us and Mum. But I don't think he could cope. Alone with her children, Ann Lawson did cope. She had to. Her children were her life. You've got to be very careful not to try and treat them as just one child in a group of five. They are all different and they have got to be treated differently. Samuel ` he's quite sensitive. Lisa is also very sensitive, but stubborn with it. Deborah is still the tomboy. She always has been. Shirlene is still the sweet little girl with the curl down the middle of her forehead. Selina is very capable. A bit of a jack of all trades. Whatever she tries she will cope with it quite easily. I remember you saying the happiest time in your life was when you just had your mum to yourself? Yeah, that's good. Yeah, that's so true. You know, get up in the morning and we'd cook and we'd laugh and clean the house. You know, we had that happy time. Just a few years? > Mm, not long, not long enough. Yeah. But the happy times didn't last. Mum married a man we didn't know, and things changed practically overnight. It went from happy to sad. After a three-month romance, Ann Lawson married Gary Eyton, a much younger man. She didn't know about his history of abuse. Mum didn't get to know him well enough before she married him, I don't think. She wasn't told. I think people knew what he was like; didn't tell, didn't warn her. The night of the wedding, it was hell from there. And she couldn't get away. And he was just a guy that you could not get rid of. How did your mother fall for such a loser? How do any women fall for a loser, to be honest? I think for a woman who allows a loser into their home, it becomes a shock. You don't expect this person that you are so in love with, apparently, or have a connection with, to turn on you. He beat mum drunk or sober, whenever he felt like it; morning, noon, night, middle of the night. She was trapped? Oh yeah. Trapped on a little island with a maniac after you. Did your father know that your mother was being beaten? He knew that Gary was violent. I mean, there were times when he would come and pick us up from our Hobsonville home, and Gary would go out there all staunch with his fists and muscles showing and say that, 'No, the kids aren't going with you. Now go away.' And we'd all end up running to our rooms and wondering what the earth is going on. 'We want to go with our dad.' Then there were Eyton's night-time visits to the girls' rooms. I told Mum in front of everybody that he was coming into my room. That he was molesting you? He was touching me. Publically, the quins seemed to be enjoying life. Privately, they were going through hell. I was 12, I believe, around 12 years old. He used to try to pull me aside, of course, to get me to go with him, but I never did. He used to crawl into my room on the floor and I used to hold on to the bed, and he left me alone. Was he raping you? > Well, we can... He interfered with me. Yep. That's before I ran away. Selina ran away. The police found her at a beach. I said to the police, I said, 'That guy there is coming into my room.' And he denied it, and that was it. Nothing happened. The others escaped Gary Eyton's night-time advances but not his mental torture. He didn't molest you? No, thank God. Um, I think I was saved for the murder. I think I was saved for that. The quins tried to avoid their stepfather by spending time with their pets. What was he like with animals? Cruel. Your animals are your best friends and when you see one of those best friends being murdered in front of you, it's terrifying. Yeah, he didn't blink an eyelid when he was doing what he was doing. Do you think he had a mental health problem? Oh, I think he was a sociopath. When the Quins were 16, Ann managed to leave her husband for the last time. We said, 'That was enough. There's no way you're gonna beat our mum any more. No way.' We stood up and we made our way to our nana's house. She left him for the last time. She was not going back. He knew that. So 'if I can't have you, nobody else is going to'. Gary Eyton tracked Ann down to her mother's house. Yeah, I was talking to her, just having a yak. She had just come home, and he was hiding behind Nana's concrete wall. I saw him lift the gun up with one arm, and he shot her. I mean, the shotgun blast sent her 3m or 4m. Eyton then shot himself. I saw Mum's full face. I saw her lying there. There was blood everywhere. There was brains. It was just horrific. But when I saw Mum, it was like she was at peace. I looked over and saw Gary and I saw darkness. You know, I just felt like going up and kicking him and kicking him and kicking him. That's what I felt like doing. The quins remember very little of their mother's funeral. There was no one to turn to. They felt abandoned. He destroyed my life. We've had to pick up our own pieces. And I have worked very very hard to move forward. I went through 10 years of not talking to anybody; not telling anybody what I went through. I couldn't even talk` I couldn't even say my mum's name. I mean, how terrible is that? You love your mum so much and I couldn't even say her name. It used to hurt me so much. I didn't know anything. I didn't feel anything. I sort of shut down, I guess. But years later, after losing her baby, Vincent, to cot death, Deborah went to America and turned to drugs. It was a part of my life, but it nearly killed me. It is its destructiveness that starts to eat away at your soul and your psyche, and I just didn't wanna go there. I think I was in shock for about 27 years. Lisa suffered post-traumatic stress. I'm finding things a lot easier to deal with when it comes to Mum ` Mum's death. I still have nightmares. That's never gonna go away. OK, ready? Go! None of the quins plan to forgive Gary Eyton anytime soon. They just don't see the need to. I don't have to forgive him. I'm not going to. I am comfortable with that. He can stay in hell for all I care. I've had so many people say, 'You've got to forgive to get on with your life.' Bullshit. No. Learn to accept but you don't have to forgive. Can I have a look? What did you make? At 50, they're getting on with life; a group of resilient grannies with their own careers and families to care for. ALL: # Happy birthday, dear quins... # They can look back now and understand what happened. ALL: # And so say all of us. For they are jolly good fellows... # They have graduated in wisdom at the school of hard knocks and are still thankful. I would like to say thank you, Mum and Dad, for giving us our grounding, and we've made it to 50. Happy birthday. ALL LAUGH The quins have taken part in a book called 'Stolen Lives' which was released this week. Coming up, another family of siblings, not five, but four brothers and sisters, all abandoned at different times and places by the same mother. They only discovered each other's existence by incredible luck. And they are now united in their quest to track down their mother. We've got a photo. You got that? It's actually amazing. It's amazing. We found her. I can't believe it. Everyone right? Deep breathe. Number seven, Julie. I'm shaking. So, a little while back we brought you the truly amazing story of four orphans who had grown up thinking they were all alone, only to find out by chance they each had brothers and sisters. We saw them in a beautiful moment as they were tearfully re-united on camera. But one mystery remained. What had become of their mother? What sort of life had she lived and was she still alive? Well, leads and tips and information poured in from viewers who had watched the story. So the four siblings set out together to find the mum who had abandoned them. There it is. God. They're brothers and sisters who spent most of their lives as strangers. Look. Now together, they're out to solve their biggest mystery. I'm amazed at the amount of information that's come forward after 60 years, in my case, of nothing. Oh, that's the hotel. Abandoned at different times and places by the same mother, united in their quest to track her down. Take a photo! So we've got a photo. You got that? It's actually amazing. (LAUGHS) It's amazing. It's amazing. We found her. I truly can't believe it. GPS: Destination on the left. That's it, yeah. Everyone right? Yep. Deep breaths. Yeah. Number seven, Julie. (SIGHS) I'm shaking. It's all right. Here we go. Oh! We brought Steve, Kim, Julie and Gary all together for the first time. Morning. Four brothers and sisters who found each other against all odds,... BOTH SPEAK INDISTINCTLY ...thanks to some unlikely coincidences and incredible luck. < Aw! The four of you together. You all know that my journey... 24 hours after the programme aired, Julie and I sat down with Steve, Gary and Kim to share what we'd found. As a result of the show last night, it's, um, it's been discovered that our mother had a name and she was known as Christine Isla Ryan. Christine Isla Ryan passed away... (SNIFFLES) > ...on the 4th of May 2012 in a nursing home in Brisbane, in a place called Salisbury. I didn't want... that to be the news. (SOBS) I know, darling. I know you didn't. And I know we spoke about it and I know you wanted it to be happy news, and I did too. < I apologise that this is the news that we had to bring you. And it wasn't... You all right? ...the news you wanted to hear. We got so close. But to be honest, we wanted to hear something, rather than nothing. You've gotta be big enough to take it both. Mm. > So don't apologise for bringing bad news. Bringing no news would have been worse. So, do you know anything more about, like...? Where did she live? What did she leave behind? Has she got other family? Like, how did she just get there? Then I wanna see there. I wanna go and pay my respects, and... and... I need... I need to be there. How we do that, whether you guys come with... with me or... or not,... We're with you. Don't worry about that. ...I'm going. Anybody goes, we all go. Yeah, that's... Not one. There'll never be one again. The four siblings travelled to Brisbane, determined to find out all they can about the mother they never knew. GPS: Turn right, then destination on the left. Oh, there it is, over there. Where? What is? Over there. That's the rooming house where she was. This is the last address listed on electoral rolls for Christine Isla Ryan. You ready, kids? Everyone right? ALL: Yep. Deep breaths. ALL: Yeah. Number seven, Julie. (SIGHS) I'm shaking. They've been told their mum lived down this corridor. Someone else lives there now, but they still want to get as close as they can. From the room next door, a man emerges. Bob Forrest had been Valerie's friend. She was the most lovable lady you could ever meet. Was she? She was. She was bloody beautiful. Yeah. And did she say much to you, like, about her life, or...? No. About us? I used to try and get stuff out of her but... So she never spoke about...? Never mentioned it. Not us, or...? No. No. Would not bring in... let anything go. Small lady? Oh yeah. Do any of us look like her? I was just thinking you. There you go. And there it is. How many people live in there?> Oh, there's... > Wow. Is that... is that spooky? But I think the good thing, Bob, is that you've been able to, um, tell us that she was a fine lady. Oh, she was, mate. She was. Nobody could say a bad word. > Particularly for you. She was great. < Yeah. That's important. 'Cause we've heard a lot of negative stuff. Not a kind word. No, I'm telling you... > For once in my life I actually know she was a good person. I never knew that before. Haven't known that in 35 years. And thank you. It means a lot. No problems at all. Bob and Valerie used to drink at a nearby pub. So that's the hotel. Oh, that's the hotel. Used to frequent. It's called The Underdog. How appropriate. How appropriate's that? Oh my God. That's kind of even a little bit sad too. I feel sad for her. I can't help it. And then things kick up a notch. In the late afternoon there is a text. It's the most exciting discovery so far. So, we've got a photo. So, we've got a photo. I just can't wait to see the photo. I just can't wait. I am so excited. I might cry but I can't wait. (SIGHS) KIM: She was beautiful. STEVE: And probably the best photo. She's the spitting image of you. Look. It's just like... I'm looking at you. And she's so happy. Look how happy she is. Valerie or Mum now, I can say, my mother, is just not a name that somebody's handing around. I know her identity, I know where she went, know where she walked, know where she lived. But where is Valerie's final resting place? Up until yesterday, the only images we'd seen of Valerie Isla Mirams were grainy photographs taken more than half a century ago. The truth about who she really was is finally emerging. I actually can look at her and go, 'That's my mother.' Now I can say, 'Well, I can tell you that,' and, 'I can show you that,' and I can say, 'That's my mother.' It's a good feeling. She was witty, she was funny, she was, yep, she was brash and she was up-front, but she was a good person. She was kind. Yep. Swore like a trooper. That's fair enough. I can understand that. Um, but just a nice lady, and, look, I'll hang my hat on that. Armed with her new name, the four had tracked down her will. It says, 'The whole of my estate is to go to the Society of St Vincent De Paul.' And intriguingly, a report that Valerie herself had been put into foster care and adopted out when she was 3. I'm not offering her any excuses, because there are a lot of people out there who are adopted and been in foster homes, and they don't abandon their own children, but in a way, that may have made it easier for her to think, 'I've had such a dreadful life. My children aren't going to have that same life.' Sort of always thought, 'I wonder why she didn't want us.' I can't explain why I've taken rejection on so hard from that being left. But I guess, um, you know, everyone wants to know their parents. After so many years spent looking for their mum, their search is nearly over. Records from the Public Trustees Office lead us to where the ashes of their mother were scattered in the nature garden of a cemetery north of Brisbane. EMOTIONALLY: Mum, I'm your oldest son, Steve. Um, this is Julie, your second child. Gary, your third and Kim, your baby. We have finally come. Don't know whether you're at peace, and we thank you so much for bringing us into the world, and, uh, giving us the opportunity to live our lives, and we just hope you are at peace now, and... and we certainly have great memories now, and we will never forget you, and we'll keep your memory, your smile, your fun, what we've heard about you, alive in our minds. I love youse all, hey. We love you. The journey is now complete, and a lot of the demons and the... the uncertainty that we had in our lives is now gone. And she's at peace. ALL: # Amazing grace! How sweet the sound # that saved a wretch like me. I'm not angry, nah. I've never been angry about it, just sad. Sad that I couldn't know her more as a person, but that I couldn't offer her a better life than what she had and maybe given her some peace, you know? < If you could change anything about this entire experience < and the entire journey of finding your mother, what would it be? For her to know that we forgave her. It's... That's it. # I once was lost, but now am found. # Was blind, but now I see. # (SIGHS) And hopefully that's brought them peace. That's our show for tonight. It's also the last day of Maori Language Week. Engari, korerotia tonutia te reo Maori, wiki atu, wiki mai, haere tonu te wa. Don't stop speaking! Join us on Facebook and Twitter, Sunday TVNZ. Thanks for joining us tonight. Nga mihi nui, hei kona.