Bad luck strikes three times

LIGHTNING doesn't strike twice but a Masterton woman has found that bad luck does come in threes after a horror month for her and her family.
Kylee Jope, 29, who's a solo mum and expecting her second baby in about three weeks, said it all started on Friday, May 13.
"I used to think that Friday 13 was a lucky day. It had been before but not now after what has happened," she said.
Kylee's father John Jope, formerly of Masterton and now living in Palmerston North, had his left leg amputated at the hip.
Mr Jope had been suffering from melanoma and Kylee said losing his leg was "horrible but good, because we'd been told that if he'd come back from surgery with two legs, we would have to expect the worst."
But all was well, the surgery was successful and on May 27, Kylee and her daughter Savvanah, 6, drove through to Palmerston North Hospital to visit Mr Jope.
His recovery from the surgery had been excellent and Kylee said he was coping really well, physically and emotionally, and was due to start rehab and physiotherapy.
She said her dad was also looking forward to seeing his long-time partner, Sheryl Pettigrew, formerly Sheryl Homann, of Masterton, who was expected at the hospital about 7pm.
"He was allowed to go home for the weekend ? it was the first time since the operation and Sheryl was coming to collect him.
"Savvanah and I had a lovely day with dad. We took him out for a picnic lunch, he was in good spirits and all excited about seeing Sheryl."
Back home in Masterton, Kylee said she and Savvanah had settled down for the night, feeling good about her dad's progress and delighted with their day out.
But those good feelings were not to last, blasted away by a midnight phone call from her father ? Sheryl had been killed in a car crash.
She had not turned up to collect him at 7pm and about 9pm Mr Jope phoned the Palmerston North police to report her missing.
While he was waiting to hear back, he was watching television and on the 10.30pm news bulletin he had seen film footage of a devastating crash at Opiki which had happened about 7pm. To his horror he recognised his partner's car.
"It was a nightmare for him. When he saw the car he rang the police back to tell them it was Sheryl's car.
"Apparently what had happened was that she collided with a truck and the truck then ploughed into a farmhouse, and burst into flames. She was killed instantly and the fire destroyed both the car and the farmhouse."
The next day Kylee, her sister Leisha and Savvanah returned to Palmerston North to be with her dad as family gathered to mourn Ms Pettigrew and to attend her funeral on Wednesday, June 1.
Little did Kylee know but that night the third blow was taking place ? back home in Masterton the same day as the funeral, her house was burgled with the offenders getting away with Savvanah's treasured video player and Playstation.
"They really targeted her ? as well as taking the video and playstation they also took the duvet off her bed and got away with all my food."
Gone was all her meat which included a big roast of lamb, plus ham steaks, chops and sausages.
"My landlord who had had been looking after the house and feeding the cats rang my mother in Wanganui to tell her I had been burgled.
"When mum rang me to tell me I could hardly believe it ? I've been in the house for five years and it was the first time I'd been away overnight and look what happened.
"I'm more relaxed now but for a while I wondered what else we were going to have to cope with.
"And Dad blamed himself because I was over in Palmerston with him."
In retrospect, those three weeks in May were the "worst ever" but she said life does go on, especially new life, and now everyone is looking forward to the birth of her baby.
Kylee is hoping for a boy this time and thinks she may deliver before the three weeks is up.