Kind act returns toys to family who have lost everything

Layla and Zara O'Connell reunited with their toys.

When Catrina O’Connell escaped her flood ravaged Eskdale home in the middle of the night with young daughters Layla and Zara, they thought they had lost everything. But through a stroke of luck and a lot of kindness, the girls’ pack of soft toys, gathered in a hurry but left behind, were found in a vineyard by Links Rd Winery employee Murray Goodall.

Murray was out checking the vineyard at Esk Valley with manager Adam Van der Meer. The sight which hit the pair was “absolutely devastating”.

Murray Goodall was checking vines when he came across a bag of toys.

“They like to keep the place absolutely mint. Over two-thirds of the vineyard was completely gone. Everything was tipped over in the shed.”

While Murray was walking through the vineyard amongst the mud and silt, he saw a pink bag.

Murray Goodall found a pink bag in the mud at Esk Valley vineyard.

“I thought, what the hell’s that? I left it there and couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Murray was busy over the next couple of days helping other people out who had lost everything, including giving Adam his work ute.

“If I could help someone out, it’s easy. If everyone did a little bit, it’d make such a difference.”

The pink bag wouldn’t leave his thoughts, so Murray returned to the muddied vineyard and retrieved the bag, taking it home to wife Val.

“There it was in the mud 3km down the road. It looked as though someone didn’t have time to grab everything. It was about making someone’s life a bit happier.”

The bag was full of soft toys which were covered in mud.

“We hosed them off and then put them through the washing machine. We hung them on the line, but it started to rain so we put them in the drier.”

Val then made ribbons which she attached to their necks, popped the toys in front of the fire and posted the photos on a few social media sites, including an Esk Valley site which turned out to be in the UK.

The soft toys were washed, dried and posted on social media.

“Some people shared it to other sites, and then I received a message from Catrina. She said she had tears in her eyes. What seems like such a small thing, means so much to someone who has lost everything.”

Catrina, now staying in temporary accommodation with husband Luke and their daughters, says she was scrolling through Facebook when she came across Murray’s post.

“I was like, ‘Oh My God, they’re my teddies. Zara, Layla, come over here. There’s our teddies.’ I was howling.”

Catrina sent a message on the page and Murray called her.

“I couldn’t even talk, I was bawling.”

She says the photo showing Val’s handiwork was very moving.

“It was so kind. She’d stitched little ribbons around their necks. It was so thoughtful - we have them all lined up. When you lose everything, it’s amazing what is so meaningful and important. Now I’m going to hold onto those for dear life.”