ABCredit Portfolio Manager Emily Erskine-Noun on Teddy’s Tribe; and why ABCredit’s $10,000 commitment to Red Nose Australia this August means so much.
If you ask a broker who has been in the industry for more than five minutes what the job is really about, very few will simply say, “arranging finance”. Most will describe something closer to this: sitting across the table from someone explaining the life they are trying to build.
Sometimes it’s a bigger house because a baby is on the way. Sometimes it’s an office that will allow a business to grow. Sometimes it’s a warehouse the owner hopes to one day hand down to their children. And sometimes it’s a facility or refinancing that helps a family business through a difficult period. Residential or commercial, the paperwork may change, but the reason behind it rarely does. Behind every loan is a person, a business, and very often, a family.
I’m a Portfolio Manager at ABCredit Funding, a specialist lender working with mortgage brokers, mortgage managers and financial planners. We sit on the other side of the transaction, helping fund loans for brokers themselves. But the principle is exactly the same. Behind every deal is a story.
This August, I’m walking 3km every day with my family for Red Nose Australia in honour of my nephew, Teddy Charles Tlais.
My sister, Rebecca, and brother-in-law, Karim, struggled for years to become parents. So, when they finally fell pregnant with identical twin boys, they thought their luck had finally turned. Instead, at 16 weeks, my nephews were diagnosed with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). Two fetoscopic laser surgeries and months of bed rest followed. Then, at 23 and a half weeks, Teddy’s heart stopped. Rebecca carried both of her sons for another three months before delivering them at 36 and a half weeks. Austin arrived healthy. Teddy was born sleeping. Meeting my nephew for the first time and having to say goodbye to him on the same day is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Somewhere in that story was a nursery prepared for two babies. And if you’ve worked in finance long enough, you’ve probably encountered clients living through circumstances you may know little or nothing about. A deal that suddenly falls apart. A director who stops returning calls. A client who desperately needs an extension but can’t quite bring themselves to explain why. We often see the transaction. We don’t always see the full story behind it.
My own son, Harry, also had a difficult start to life. At 28 weeks, he was diagnosed with a severe right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a life-threatening condition in which a hole in the diaphragm allows abdominal organs to move into the chest, severely affecting lung development. His chance of survival was minimal, even with intensive care. Harry spent 78 days fighting for his life in the surgical NICU at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital’s “Butterfly Ward”.
During that time, we came to know many other families and the stories that had brought them there. Sadly, two of Harry’s little friends never made it home. That’s three families within one small circle.
Most people reading this will know a family with a story of their own. That is why Red Nose Australia’s work matters. Every year, thousands of Australian families experience the devastating loss of a baby or young child. Red Nose is widely known for its work promoting safe sleep and reducing sudden unexpected deaths in infancy, but its support extends far beyond prevention. It provides support during pregnancy, grief and loss services, and a 24/7 support line for families navigating some of the most difficult moments imaginable.
For people like my sister. For families like ours. Our team, Teddy’s Tribe, raised more than $20,000 last year. This year, Rebecca and Karim are both Red Nose Ambassadors, sharing Teddy’s story in the hope that it helps other families feel less alone. On 1 August, they even appeared live on Sunrise with Austin from The Wiggles’ headquarters.
ABCredit Funding has committed $10,000 to our campaign, and for me, that means more than I can properly express. It’s the first cause our group has formally put its name behind, and I’m incredibly proud that it is this one.
Because businesses are ultimately made up of people. And behind the numbers, the loans, the settlements and the transactions, there are always lives being lived, families celebrating, struggling, building, hoping and sometimes simply trying to get through the next day.
So, if you can support Teddy’s Tribe this August, please consider making a donation. And if donating isn’t possible, sharing the fundraiser with your team, colleagues or network can make just as much difference. Please get behind something that matters this August and help Red Nose continue supporting families when they need it most.
Behind every loan, there is a story. Behind every story, there is a family.
This month, ABCredit will be walking every step for you, Teddy.
Support Teddy’s Tribe: Red Nose Day — Emily & Harry
Read more about Teddy’s story: Daily Telegraph story
Watch Rebecca, Karim and Austin on Sunrise: Sunrise interview from The Wiggles’ headquarters
