Cheryl Lyle

cheryl-185x159

Cheryl Lyle was a well-known member of the community in Newman, working in administration for BHPBIO. When she did not turn up for work on a glorious May morning in 2011, concerns were raised.

Tragically, Cheryl had passed away at her home, from a heart attack. Her brother John, while sorting through her paperwork, found a brochure on Miners’ Promise. He was unsure if Cheryl was a member and what this meant to the family.

Miners’ Promise was contacted by John and a BHPBIO representative and it was confirmed Cheryl was a member. Cheryl was sadly, the first death in the Miners’ Promise family.

As soon as Miners’ Promise received the call, a family support advisor flew to Newman and arrived at the same time as Cheryl’s  adult children, Lexie and Robbie. This signalled the opening of the safety net of support for the family, including taking care of the funeral arrangements and costs.

Cheryl came from Busselton so before funeral arrangements were made we arranged a memorial service for friends and colleagues in Newman where she was working, so everyone in her life had an opportunity to pay their respects.

Miners’ Promise worked closely with Cheryl’s employer and family to organise the timing of the memorial service.

More than 300 people attending. Miners’ Promise covered the cost of the venue and catering, and assisted with the co-ordination of the ceremony.

The branches of the Miners’ Promise tree are always far reaching. In Cheryl’s case the impact of her death meant that financial support for her family, including her daughter Lexie’s university allowance, was gone. Miners’ Promise was able to cover this allowance for the following 12 months – helping keep Lexie on her feet and able to continue her studies.

Cheryl’s brother John was also concerned about her children being rushed to organise his sister’s personal belongings as they lived so far from Newman. In response, Miners’ Promise organised and paid for a storage facility in Perth so Cheryl’s belongings could be relocated there. They also continued to fund the facility until the family was ready to sort through the contents.

Being an executor of a Will can be a daunting process, and Miners’ Promise was able to help John in his role. Miners’ Promise assisted the family with organising superannuation arrangement entitlements and engaged a solicitor to work on probate.

On the anniversary of her passing, Miners’ Promise continues to touch base with the family.

John said, “Miners’ Promise were in contact with me all the time on the phone and by email….I don’t think enough people realise what they do. They provide money for funerals and other things, but the biggest thing is that they are not just there for one or two years, they are there down the track if people need help for longer. To me that was more beneficial than cash money”.’

“We see our job as helping families adapt to a new sense of normal without their loved one, because their lives are never going to be the same again.”