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| Top granddad has lots of love to share | |
| By
family reporter SASHA BASKETT PETER Wood's youngest grandchild, Lauren, is the latest in a long line to share his love. Mr Wood, who has been named Grandfather of the Year, is father of two and grandfather of two – and has been foster-father to 26 children. It was Lauren, 8, who put him up for the award. In her entry, she said she wanted him to win because he took her places and she liked staying overnight at his house. Lauren also nominated her grandmother, Barbara – for her cauliflower au gratin. But there were other achievements that also impressed the judges of the award, run by Arthritis Victoria. Mr Wood, 60, and Mrs Wood, 59, began opening their home to children in need when their youngest child was five. They had two children and had hoped to have another two, but it was not to be. So they decided to become foster parents. They started fostering newborn babies who were waiting for adoptive families, then moved on to children with special needs and those who had been abused. Some children stayed for only a few days, others for up to two years. Mr Wood said it was one three-year-old boy who provided the biggest learning experience of all. When Mrs Wood brought him home, the boy, who had been abused, hid behind the sofa and would not come out. "But within a week, he was coming out to meet me with the other kids when I came home from work," he said. "For all of us it was a life-changing experience. These children taught me what acceptance, what unconditional love, was all about." Mr Wood, a horticultural consultant, said he thought his family was playing a prank when he discovered he was a finalist for the award. "Our daughter (Lauren's mother) is a bit of a character and it's the sort of thing she would do," he said. He sees the grandchildren often, including at a regular family dinner each Thursday. The tradition began when his children were young but now has expanded to include Lauren and brother Joshua, 10. "Being a grandparent is one of life's great gifts," he said. Mr Wood, of Mornington, was chosen out of 438 entrants for the Grandparent of the Year award. David McKinnon, who raised $44,720, was chosen as Charity Grandparent of the Year. Herald Sun |
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