A hard-nosed politician, one of her most difficult meetings came on Friday when she spoke in front of hundreds of local students about her daughter’s tragic death last year. 

Sinead Pulford was a fun-loving 13-year-old in year 7 at Ballarat Clarendon College when an aggressive form of liver cancer took her life on December 12, one day after Jaala was named Agriculture and Regional Development Minister in the new Labor government. 

Speaking to The Courier about the school’s fundraiser – a walkathon that raised money for Ballarat Hospice Care – an emotional Ms Pulford said attending the school had been tougher than any ministerial job. 

“I have not been to any meeting this week that has been anywhere near as tough as walking into this school pavilion,” she said. 

“This is a place Sinead loved very much, and a lot of her very dear friends are here. 

“This bring backs a lot of memories, and as difficult and challenging as my job is, this is much harder.”

Wiping tears from her eyes, Ms Pulford told the students of the rapid onset of the more than 30 tumours that invaded Sinead’s body. 

“Sinead was really fit as a fiddle until about August, and around the time of the 40-hour famine she complained about a sore back ... it didn’t really let up,” Ms Pulford told the crowd. 

“But we didn’t think it was anything too serious.

“About four weeks after that, she found a lump in her tummy. That involved a very quick trip to the children’s hospital and we were there for about four weeks. 

“When we left the hospital, they said that the type of cancer Sinead had was extremely rare and serious, that it was very advanced.

“They didn’t say to us at any point that they thought that they could make her better.”

It was around this time the Royal Children’s Hospital put the Pulford family in contact with Ballarat Hospice Care, a palliative care organisation that provides at-home care for patients during their final days.

“When we left the children’s hospital, we left an amazing hospital with all those experts,” Ms Pulford said. 

“But the people at Ballarat hospice taught us extraordinary skills which gave us the confidence to care for Sinead at home.

“They would come into our house and they would make sure our little girl was OK, and it was the most extraordinary thing.”

On Friday, Ballarat Clarendon College students, including Sinead’s close friends, dressed in her favourite colours – purple and yellow – and completed a walkathon to raise money for Ballarat Hospice Care. 

Ms Pulford said her family was touched to know Sinead was loved by so many. 

“She would have loved this. She didn’t mind being the centre of attention.”

patrick.byrne@fairfaxmedia.com.au