As six heartbroken parents who lost their children to drugs at festivals last year beg for change, one mum revealed her daughter’s final text.
The mother of an “adored” young man who fatally overdosed at a NSW music festival has begged politicians to step aside and let experts determine policies so her son and others who died can be “the faces of change”.
Julie Tam, the mother of Joshua Tam, 22, has told an inquest the deaths of her son and five other young people at NSW music festivals between December 2017 and January 2019 must not be in vain.
Alexandra Ross-King, Diana Nguyen, Joseph Pham, Callum Brosnan and Nathan Tran, aged between 18 and 23, also died after ingesting illicit drugs in hot weather.
The fatalities have been examined by Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame at an inquest that came to a close today.
“Our children’s faces must be the faces of change,” Mrs Tam said, describing herself and other parents as “the carnage left behind”.
“We may not be able to bring Josh back to us the way we wish we could with every fabric of our being,” she told the inquest.
“I think I can speak for all of us six parents when I say that I wish one reckless moment of abandonment hadn’t brought about these tragic results, but that the six of you were meant to create a ripple so far and so wide that this changing landscape cannot and must not be ignored.”
As the inquiry concluded at Lidcombe Coroner’s Court, Mrs Tam said it was “terrifying to think that summer is coming” and with it “the next onslaught of festivals”.
Ms Grahame will release her findings on November 8 so her recommendations are released before the peak of the summer festival period.
Mrs Tam told the inquest that no “magic bullet” would save other families from feeling the pain of losing a loved one in such a way.
However, she suggested having more emergency health professionals on site, not holding festivals when temperatures soared to dangerous levels and stepping away from hardline policing.
She also pleaded for drug checking, saying while “it may not have saved Josh ... it may very well have been the missing factor”.
“It may have saved another, that’s all that should matter,” she said.
“Those that stand in the way of change please step aside ... I don’t believe that political parties should be involved in decisions like these at all. Re- election should not influence important reforms.”
Mrs Tam was one of a number of parents who made statements to the inquest in its final moments.
The mother of Alexandra Ross-King, the parents of Callum Brosnan and the mother of Joseph Pham also shared their grief.
Jennie Ross-King told the inquest of the final conversation she shared with her daughter Alex, 19, whose final words to her were “I love you too, mum”.
