A photo of a volunteer firefighter with his newborn child has offered a glimmer of hope amidst the bushfire crisis ravaging Australia.
Kurt Hickling is a professional photographer and Country Fire Authority volunteer. On Sunday, he captured a photograph of fellow volunteer Beau Haines holding his newborn child Spencer at the Kiewa fire station in north-east Victoria.
The picture has gone viral, with more than 1,300 people sharing the snap on Facebook.
“I wanted to create something positive for everyone to look at and send a message out there how important our volunteers are, and how important it is for them to be able to return home safe,” Hickling told the ABC.
“We just thought, let’s send out a message from a volunteer’s perspective about how important it is for them to get back to their families.”
Haines told ABC Radio Melbourne he was relieved to be able to attend his son’s birth on Christmas Eve after battling blazes at Bateman’s Bay and Corryong in the days prior.
“It’s such a beautiful photo, especially with all the fires that are around,” he said.
Spencer’s mother Cassie said the picture “nearly brought tears to my eyes”.
Photo credit: Hickling Photography / Facebook
OverSixty, its parent company and its owners are donating a total of $200,000 to the Vinnie’s Bushfire Appeal. We have also pledged an additional $100,000 of product to help all those affected by the bushfire crisis. We would love you to support too! Head to the website to donate.
