"How Joshua Christian Malo came to be Joshua Christian Harvey-Hall and left us untimely," writes Donna Harvey-Hall

By Donna Harvey-Hall

I haven't shared this before as it was too close to my heart but we had this darling little one hour old baby given to us in 1977. I wrote this in 1987 about Joshua Christian Malo whose clock stopped on 3rd December 1984 when he was killed in a plane crash along with my husband Chris.
"You were not of my genes.You had none of my facial features, my hair or my fiery temper 
But you most certainly held my heart."
When we first saw you you were only hours old. We did not expect you,
We were not prepared for you and we were too confused to know if we even wanted you.
It did not take but another hour for you to capture our hearts.
We used to gaze at your little face-
"Chocolate Drop" we called you-
and we would tell each other.
How lucky we were to have you.
What joy you had brought into our lives.
Your sisters and brothers doted upon you.
And on the 3rd December 1984 the light went out of your eyes and your life.
I took consolation that you had gone to Heaven with your Daddy.
To look after each other.
I am richer for having shared a part of your life and I will never forget you.
When she put you into our care with barely a word of explanation
Your natural mother gave us a wonderful gift.
I will always be grateful to her for her generosity.

Joshua's story began one morning in 1977 when his mother, the daughter of our "haus" (house) girl Matinga asked me to drop her at the 'haus sik' (hospital) on our way to work.She had come home to her mother, obviously pregnant and looked to me like she was almost full-term.On the way to the "haus sik" (hospital) I asked her about her plans for when her baby was born. She told me that if it was a girl she was going to give him to a Tolai family (New Britain origin) in Port Moresby but if it was a boy she was going to give him to me and my husband. 

I dropped her at the hospital and went to work, barely having time to consume this information. I was at work a very short time when the hospital rang me to come and collect my baby.That is how Joshua Christian Malo came to be Joshua Christian Harvey-Hall. May he continue to Rest in Peace.

 Joshua Christian Harvey-Hall  (1977 - 1984)