The reunion will kick-off with a meet and greet session at 2.30pm on Saturday afternoon at the St Mary’s Parish Centre in Campbell Street.

There will be a mass at 6pm in the St Mary’s Catholic Church, shortly followed by the reunion dinner at around 7.30pm in the Young Services Club auditorium.

To wrap up the event, there will be a morning tea at 10am at the Parish Centre, during which Young’s Mercy Care Centre manager Mary-Lou Cusack will give a tour of the current facility in Demondrille Street for those interested.

“I sent out 200 invitations and received 140 replies, so it’s not bad,” Joy Cameron said.

“The main rule is to have fun. I’m very excited about the response and catching up and reminiscing.”

During preparation for the reunion, Joy recently received a beautiful letter, along with a copy of a local newspaper clipping, in the mail from a former Young resident and one who was a patient at the Sacred Heart Hospital in May, 1942.

At the time this woman, by the name of Dolores Deasey, was announced as Young’s smallest baby.

Her letter compelled Joy to bring it into The Young Witness office to publish for all to read. The letter reads below.

“Dear Joy

I am writing re: the Sacred Heart Hospital nurses reunion for the years 1911-1984 to be held the weekend of May 24-25, organised by you.

I wish to advise that because of the care and dedication of the hospital staff back in May 1942, I survived!

My parents Jim and Barbara Deasey lived in Moppity Road, Young. My dad taught at Mirabooka PS.

Mum had previously given birth to four children, three at Harden Maternity Hospital.

My sister May was born at Mercy Hospital in 1937.

Because my mum was suffering from pneumonia at the time, my birth was many weeks early.

Doctor Gardiner and Sister Carr attended the birth – the nun and all the hospital staff were caring for a premmie.

Apparently the nuns baptized me straight away giving me the name of Dolores Gerardene. This was not a family name. 

Perhaps some of your colleagues may know if this was Dr Gardiner’s wife’s name or one of the nuns’ names.

My birth weight at four days was 2lb 10oz (not your average weight)! I enclose a cutting from the local paper at that time.

Neither of my children were premature, however my husband was born at Crown Street Hospital in Sydney in 1938 [and] was only 2lb 2oz.

My son, my first born, was exactly twice my husband’s weight plus mine combined at 6lb 14oz.

My daughter was born in the car on the way to the hospital, no dramas, and was 6lb 11oz (by the way she is now a nurse).

I am fortunate to have good health and always consider myself a ‘Young girl’.

Thank you for your interest and I am sure you will have a successful reunion.

I thank all the staff at the hospital for many years of service to the community.

Yours sincerely,

Dolores G Bicket (nee Deasey)

Galston, NSW”