THE FAMILY of a young pastor whose death left a Hills community bereaved have published a book she wrote about 15 years ago.
Grandmother Nanette Esam’s daughter Rebecca Anderson (36) passed away unexpectedly in 2013 while on holiday.
She was a chaplain at Eastern Hills Senior High School for more than nine years.
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READ NOWSuch was the outpouring of grief over her sudden death, a memorial was built at the school where she impacted the lives of several generations of students.
One student wrote on the memorial: “her heart was too big for her little body”.
The late pastor’s sister Nicky Ford said ‘Bec’ loved working with young people and enjoyed writing.
Her children’s book Bumpel Swivet is a story about two friends who go on imaginary adventures around the world from their home backyard.
The origins of the name are a mystery.
Determined to see the story in print, Mrs Esam searched for an illustrator to complete the book.
“Then Nicky said to me ‘Mum, why don’t you do it?’
“So, I got myself an art teacher and she helped me work on the illustrations. I based two of the characters on my grandchildren Lachlan and Emily.”
Granddaughter Emily said she was proud to be in the storybook.
“Last year when my school had a book fair, I just dressed up as myself,” she said.
A book launch on Bec’s birthday was a special moment for the family.
The final year group of students supported by the popular chaplain finished school in 2016, but Bumpel Swivet is a legacy to impact generations to come.
The book is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Book Depository, with part proceeds to chaplaincy.
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