There's No Handbook In A Situation Like This

When Kelly’s mum died, her sister-in-law Carol opened her arms and her home.

- Natalee Fuhrmann

For as long as she can remember, Kelly Haywood has felt loved, nurtured and protected by Carol Edmunds.

So when she spotted a TV commercial calling for nominations for the Barnardos Mother of the Year Awards, it seemed a no brainer for 38-year-old Kelly to put forward the woman to whom she owes so much.

Tasmania-based Carol is the wife of Kelly’s half-brother – but heartbreaking circumstances led her to take on the role of Kelly’s mother in the mid-1980s. Now, 30 years later, she’s been crowned the 2017 Barnardos Australian Mother of the Year.