Shekinah Fairburn, remembers her sister Janiah Fairburn.
Janiah Fairburn's body is lying in the same Northland marae she visited with her whānau to remember her late grandmother only hours before she died in a road crash.
Tributes are pouring in for Fairburn, 20, and her 2-year-old daughter Azarliyah Hadfield, whose bodies were brought to the Otamatea Marae yesterday morning for their funeral, to be held tomorrow.Visitors were being welcomed on to the marae on an overcast day yesterday afternoon and more are expected closer to the funeral.
The mother and daughter were killed in a head-on collision on State Highway 1 near Oruawharo Rd, in Topuni, about 9pm on Saturday.
Albie Shelford described his niece as very vivacious. She wanted to become a singer.
Photo / John Stone
Fairburn's partner, Henare Hadfield, suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung and is recovering at Auckland City Hospital after an operation.
Their 1-year-old son, Te Tairawhiti Hadfield, is being treated for spinal injuries at Starship children's hospital in Auckland.
Family spokesman Albie Shelford said Fairburn joined her extended whānau at the marae on Saturday to remember her grandmother Ruby Fairburn who died three years ago.
Afterward Janiah Fairburn returned home with her family to Kaiwaka before heading to Wellsford.
"She had a calming, loving personality. She was very vivacious and had a lot going on for her in terms of ambitions and aspirations. She wanted to become a singer."
Janiah Fairburn's sisters (from left) Shekinah, Maia, Mina, Liza, Ana and Jaydah outside the Otamatea Marae during her tangi. Photo / John Stone
Shelford said his family were angry at the circumstances of the crash.
"However, we accept the fact nothing there's nothing we can do about it that will bring Janiah and her daughter back. We have to put aside feelings of hate and anger," he said.
Janiah Fairburn was the second oldest of 11 siblings.
Older sister Liza fought back tears recalling her last words after their grandmother's remembrance.
"We both are opinionated and we had an argument on Saturday over silly stuff, but we then made up and had a bit of a laugh. Her last words before she left the marae was 'love you'," Liza said.
"She could sing like an angel. When she sang, everyone would listen. I have no words to explain how it all feels but at least I know she's in heaven."
Tributes are pouring in for Janiah Fairburn and her 2-year-old daughter, Azarliyah Hadfield, who lost their lives in a road crash in Northland on Saturday. Photo / Supplied
Kaiwaka School principal Rosie Ellis said Janiah's family were long-established in Kaiwaka and three of her brothers as well as other whānau members attended her school.
Ellis said staff and students would attend the tangi if invited.
Janiah's aunt Maria Paikea has been a te reo Maori teacher at Rodney College for five to six years.
Deputy principal Alison Middleton said the school was working very hard to support her whānau and any student who was affected by the tragedy.
Paikea and husband Rau Morgan run the Kaiwaka Food Bank.
A 19-year-old man faces two charges of driving with excess breath alcohol causing death and one charge of failing to stop at the scene of a fatal crash.
He was unable to leave his hospital bed for his appearance in the North Shore District Court yesterday.
He allegedly blew a breath alcohol reading of 768mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.
The teen was remanded in custody at Auckland City Hospital until next Monday, when the case will be called again in the Whangārei District Court.
