By Corey Everitt
A pairing brought together by the heartbroken pleas of a family across the world has blossomed into a strong friendship between Berwick’s Kerry Norton and rescue dog Camo.
The unlikely bond is built on the shared grief of losing loved ones on the roads and supporting each other through their trauma.
Locals of Berwick and surrounds would know Kerry very well, particularly as the bubbly and cheeky personality that runs Akoonah Park’s bookshop every weekend.
In recent years, locals would be acquainted with a new four-legged friend hanging about Kerry’s feet and the piles of second-hand books.
This is Camo, a rescue staffy who quickly became a much-loved friend for the Akoonah Park’s regulars and new-comers.
Though Kerry has always loved dogs, she and Camo have a special bond that began one day in 2020 when Kerry received a seemingly random message.
At this time, Kerry was looking for a dog for both her and her son who was still in high school.
As she was putting out feelers for dogs on Facebook, a tragedy occurred that would affect many lives locally and across the world, including Kerry’s.
Jarman Simmy was a international student at Monash University, coming from India to study full-time in Australia as still just a young adult.
Having to leave family back home, Jarman would adopt a dog to keep him company as he studied abroad – he adopted Camo.
In February 2020, tragedy would strike Jarman and his family.
Driving one day while fatigued, Jarman would lose control of his vehicle and collide with a street light pole on Wellington Road, just beside Monash University.
Jarman, at 19, would lose his life, to the heartbreak of his family and to Camo who was left waiting at his home.
Shortly after Jarman’s death, Kerry would get an expected message asking if she would take their dog from Jarman’s sister, Sendy.
“They messaged me and then rang me and said, ‘look we would love someone like you who has been through trauma to look after our precious dog’,” Kerry said.
“We had a chat together and I just let them know that I had a son who was doing Year 12 and it would be good company for him.
“But also too, I myself am just getting over all my trauma, so it would be a good pair up.
“I work for the Amber group, Road Trauma Support Services and they saw me on Facebook and they’d seen I had been involved in a car accident and they knew I was looking for another dog.”
Jarman’s family found Kerry because of her story, where she had lost her family to a road collision caused by fatigue.
In late 1997, Kerry, her husband Rick and four-year-old daughter Shani were on their way to a camping trip in Wilson’s Promontory.
By the time they got to Leongatha, they realised they forgot to pack the tent.
Rick, who was a night shift worker with little sleep the night prior, was determined to not miss this weekend with his family and turned the car around to retrieve the tent.
Shortly after, Rick would fall asleep at the wheel, losing control and veering into the path of an oncoming logging truck.
Rick, Shani and one of her two pet dogs were killed instantly. Kerry was trapped in the wreckage for two hours with severe injuries beside her deceased husband.
Kerry would survive, spending months in rehabilitation and then a life bearing the traumatising loss of her family.
Years later, Kerry would reach out to Road Trauma Support Services, now known as Amber Community, for help.
Today she has now reached her 15th year with the group, as a vital volunteer sharing her experience with others and raising awareness about road trauma.
She is also the Road Safety Ambassador for the Transport Accident Commission.
In that time, she would find her second husband, Neil.
Kerry was told she would never be able to have children due to the collision, however Neil and Kerry would have a ‘miracle baby’, a boy they named Kai.
Tragedy would unfortunately return though, as Neil would pass away in 2011 from lung cancer.
Kerry is a fighter however, continuing to raise her miracle baby Kai while also turning her tragic story into action by volunteering for Amber Community.
Seven years ago, Kerry purchased the bookstore at Akoonah Park to run on the weekends from her full-time job.
She runs it with her sister Rebecca, naming it Shani’s Corner in honour of her daughter.
As Jarman’s family were desperately looking for a home for Camo while they grieved, coming across Kerry’s story compelled them to reach out.
“I was a bit shocked, ‘why are you reaching out to me’, but then I realised they read my story as well,” Kerry said.
“I do a lot of work with helping people, that they were hoping I would be the right fit.”
Kerry and Kai were happy to make sure Camo had a home.
“When family members delivered him to me, they were crying and upset and they knew they had to give him to someone,” Kerry said.
“You could tell with Jarman he really loved that dog so much, Camo was his world.”
However, they knew it would be easy for Camo who just lost his best friend.
“I was shocked, I knew taking a dog on with that immediate grief would be a hard job,” Kerry said.
“People don’t realise with a car accident, it’s not just us humans that get affected, our animals do too.
“When I first got him he tried to bite his way out and look for his owner, he made his paws bleed, he was down at emergency vets three times.
“It wasn’t an easy process and that’s why a lot of these animals like Camo end up in the pound because people can’t deal with the grief part of it.”
Through their effort, Camo has got the help and the loving home he needed to move on from Jarman’s tragic passing.
He will always still be affected by loss, much the same Kerry.
He is a loving, calm and welcoming dog, which at times can find himself reserved and nervous.
However, the Berwick community were quick to give him love and Jarman’s family couldn’t be happier.
“They’re just so grateful they’ve got me looking after him and he has been such a good healing for me as well,” Kerry said.
“Jarman was so young, he hadn’t started his family yet, so Camo is like a family member to them.
“He is so well-loved here, like everyone waits for Camo to come to the bookstore.
“He has gotten used to me now, he is my anxiety dog.
“He loves life, we go for a walk every day, I’ve got a big backyard.
“He is really well loved by everybody.”
Berwick Op Shop has always had a strong connection to Kerry as she regular comes in to to pick up excess books for the Sunday market.
In response to her work, president Margaret Ruse and the volunteers at Berwick Op Shop decided to add Amber Community to the over 40 organisations they donate, giving $5000 to the not-for-profit.
“We are extremely grateful to Kerry, she is such an inspirational lady, so kind hearted, so positive, you can’t help but love her and her zest for life,” Margaret said.
“Prior to our connection with Kerry, excess books were recycled, now it’s great to know that she is able to resell them and support the Amber Community, which is close to her heart.
“She often brings her beautiful, special dog Camo into the shop when she picks up her books, he’s gorgeous and also has such a great bond with Kerry, they’re an amazing team.
“They look at each other and honestly, you can see the love they share, they have both been through so much in their lives.”
Kerry has dedicated her life to raising awareness and with the story of Camo beside her, she hopes it will show more people the effects road trauma has on so many, whether they have two or four legs.
“It’s why we have to make people more aware on our roads, this could happen to anybody, at anytime and you leave behind not just people, but also animals like Camo who care for you,” Kerry said.
“I wanna make people aware so they don’t get the same life sentence as I have, because it’s really a life sentence.
“I might look alright, but people don’t see me when I get home, it’s the same with Camo, no one sees what we’ve gone through to rehabilitate him back.”
