One month ago, Paul Weeks was a 39-year-old engineer, flying to Mongolia for his first shift on a brand new a fly-in fly-out job. Today he is gone.
You’ve undoubtedly heard his name in a news report by now… because Paul Weeks was one of the Australians travelling on board flight MH370.
It’s difficult to imagine what the families of people like Paul, and others on board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, must be going through. It’s difficult to comprehend that level of devastation. That degree of uncertainty. That magnitude of pain.
But on last night’s 60 Minutes, two of the Australian families who lost loved ones on MH370, opened up about what they’re going through and shared it with the world.
Danica Weeks – and her two sons Lincoln, 3, and Jack, 11 months – have lost a husband and a father. The family live in Perth, and Danica is still struggling with the fact that she was on the closest land mass to where the plane is suspected to have eventually crashed. She was going about her day in Perth, while her husband crashed into the ocean.
“To know they had flown straight past us, so close to home, so close,” Danica says, her voice shaking. “And I would’ve been out at the shops at the time.”
Top Comments
I shed a few tears for Danica Weeks last night. The idea of a young mother on her own in another country (Danica and Paul are from NZ) with her two little boys when she heard such devastating news is unbearably sad. That Danica was being comforted by a journalist instead of her loved ones as the press conference, in which the Malaysian government announced all flight MH370 passengers had perished, was being streamed live around the world was heartbreaking. I wish Danica and her sons all the best for the future.
I remember an article on this site ages ago from a reporter who was 'explaining' why reporters door knocked grieving relatives. I didn't buy it then and I'm not buying it now.
I do think we need to acknowledge that some people just lap up stories about grief, though.