A 38-year-old Sydney mother was simply trying to create a special school holiday memory for her two children when an ordinary afternoon at home turned into an unimaginable tragedy.
Charlotte Rose-Anne Hill suffered catastrophic injuries while preparing a backyard barbecue, so her children could roast marshmallows together.
She later succumbed to her injuries following medical complications, leaving behind her husband, Matt Tierney, and their two young children.
Highlights
- A simple backyard barbecue for marshmallows ended in an unimaginable tragedy for one Australian family.
- Charlotte Rose-Anne Hill was trying to make her children's school holidays special when she unexpectedly lost her life.
- “No child should have to navigate the loss of their mother so young…” her grieving family wrote in a heartbreaking public statement.
As news of the heartbreaking accident spread online, one person reacted, “This is so heartbreaking! This put me in straight tears… Those kids will be devastated for a long time… Hope they find peace and healing.”
Charlotte Rose-Anne Hill was preparing a backyard barbecue for her children when a devastating accident unfolded
Image credits: Traci Fant/Facebook
Charlotte had been setting up a backyard barbecue at her Sydney home so her 11-year-old son, Noah, and 7-year-old daughter, Billie-Rose, could enjoy roasting marshmallows together when she suddenly caught fire.
The exact cause of the blaze has not been publicly disclosed, though reports state she was accidentally engulfed in flames while lighting or assembling the barbecue.
Her children were standing nearby when the accident happened and immediately sprang into action.
Image credits: GoFundMe
According to Charlotte's cousin, Bianca Hill, Billie-Rose screamed "the loudest she has ever screamed in her life" to alert her father.
Matt was inside the house at the time of the accident, getting ready for work.
Meanwhile, Noah desperately tried to save his mother by using his jacket to smother the flames.
“[He] used his jacket to try and put out the fire on his mom,” Bianca told news.com.au.
The mother of two initially showed signs of recovery before unexpected complications claimed her life
Image credits: GoFundMe
Moments later, Matt rushed outside, administered first aid, and Charlotte was transported to hospital for emergency treatment.
Charlotte suffered severe burns to her face and hands and was first taken to a local hospital before being transferred to a specialist burns unit.
Doctors performed emergency surgery and, for a brief period, her family believed she was beginning to recover.
According to Bianca, her sister remained in good spirits following the procedure, joking with family members and even speaking with her children over the phone.
Image credits: Charlotte Hill/Facebook
But on Friday, July 10, the mother of two suffered unexpected medical complications before being found unresponsive and later passing away.
Reflecting on those painful moments, Bianca shared, “I actually jumped in the ambulance with her, and she was in so much agony. Watching someone that you love suffer like that… it seriously broke me.”
Despite everything that happened, Bianca said she was incredibly proud of Charlotte's children.
Charlotte had always hoped her children would never experience the loss she endured herself
Image credits: GoFundMe
“Thankfully her children were not harmed because they were in the backyard at the time. They were so brave and so heroic in those moments,” she said.
“I’m actually extremely proud of the way that they handled the situation despite how traumatic it would have been for them.”
For Charlotte's family, one of the most heartbreaking parts of the tragedy is that she had spent years trying to spare Noah and Billie-Rose from the same pain she experienced growing up.
Having lost her own mother at a young age, Charlotte often spoke about wanting to ensure her children would never have to face life without theirs.
Image credits: GoFundMe
Bianca described Charlotte as a mother who constantly put her children before herself.
She told the outlet, “[Charlotte would] do anything to make her kids’ day. She would literally do anything at all just to make sure they have a happy childhood.”
In the wake of the tragedy, the family set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses while also helping provide ongoing counseling, emotional support, schooling, and future educational opportunities for her children.
“No child should have to navigate the loss of their mother so young,” the grieving family wrote in a fundraiser
Image credits: GoFundMe
Part of the campaign description read, “The greatest heartbreak is… having lost her own mother at a young age, Charlotte often spoke about how she never wanted her children to endure the same pain she had carried throughout her life.”
“Tragically, that is now the reality Noah and Billie-Rose must face. No child should have to navigate the loss of their mother so young.”
The fundraiser also remembers Charlotte as a “deeply loved daughter, sister, cousin, niece, aunty, and, above all, a devoted mother” who had recently celebrated her 38th birthday.
Image credits: GoFundMe
As of this writing, the fundraiser has raised more than $22,152 USD toward its $24,460 USD goal, with donations continuing to pour in.
The fundraiser explains, “While no amount of money can ever replace Charlotte's love, warmth, or guidance, we hope this fundraiser can provide her children with the security and support she would have wanted for them.”
According to the fundraiser, Charlotte's funeral service is scheduled to be held on Thursday, July 23.
“This just goes to show we never know when it's going to be our last day on earth… So sorry for the children,” one netizen wrote
