Out of anguish morphed a profoundly joyous experience for Sasha Verdouw and her loved ones.
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Cut off from her Western Australia-based family for more than two years because of the pandemic, Verdouw surprised them when she arrived unannounced on her parents' doorstep this month.
Accompanying the Tamworth occupational therapist were her husband, Jesse, and their infant daughter, Elkie. It was the first time her family - including three brothers - had met Elkie in the flesh.
Upon returning to Tamworth last week, after a 10-day stay in Perth, Elkie turned one.
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"Amazing that it worked out," Verdouw, 27, said of the subterfuge, adding: "Mum nearly fainted."
The Verdouws arrived in Tamworth some five years ago, after Sasha graduated from university and found work in the city - her first post-uni job.
Her and her 29-year-old husband, who hails from Tasmania, had met in NSW and had maintained a long-distance relationship before he joined her in Perth.
Jesse is part of the Clontarf Foundation team at Quirindi High. He works with "Indigenous males to improve their education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects", Verdouw said.
She works at The Benevolent Society. The couple are valuable members of two communities. Three, if you count the Tamworth Swans, where they have played since 2019.
Their relocation to Tamworth was trying. But joining the Swans provided them with a deeper connection to the city.
"The first 12 months were really challenging," Verdouw said of moving to Tamworth. "But, honestly, the footy club is where we've met our biggest connections here.
"Some of our closest friends, who we would call family, are from the Swans team."
The Swans women and men play the Saints in season openers at No 1 Oval on Saturday.
"I'm very excited. We've got an incredible team," Verdouw said. "We're a really fit team. Everyone's super excited; we've got a good energy in the club."
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