About The Founder

My name is Sarah Campbell-Wood and I live in Perth, Western Australia. This support group and website GranPower is in honour of my beloved Grandchildren. I am a loving Grandma to six beautiful Grandchildren and a proud Great-aunt to my favourite niece's three little ones. My dear son and wonderful daughter-in-law have three very special children. The two eldest children, my step-Grandchildren are an absolute delight and are so very easy to love. They are happy children and truly a credit to their parents.
I am proud to have the opportunity to call them my Grandchildren. My son and his wife together have a gorgeous little daughter aged two and a half, who has been a little healing blessing to our whole family. The single most amazing gift my children have given me was to be present at this little sparkle's birth. I was able to bless her from the moment of her birth, and nothing will ever compare to this treasured experience.

Your individual stories of family breakdowns are heartbreaking. Your struggles are so energy consuming, health-depleting and soul destroying, when we know we have loved and continue to love our children and Grandchildren. My heart is heavy for all the little ones missing us, for all you precious Grandparents, for myself, and for all our support people who also feel so powerless.

I am a Murdoch University Graduate, having completed a degree at age fifty, in English, Australian Indigenous Studies and Creative Writing. I am currently doing an honors degree
at Murdoch incorporating the writing of my autobiography, which might one day raise an eyebrow or two. I have been a tutor at Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre at Murdoch, self-published two books of poetry/ prose and am currently compiling an anthology of Grandparents' Letters to the Children, and Prayers of Guidance for young children. My poetry has been published under my pen name Saz Campbell, in poetry journals and related e-journals. I am tutoring and editing for Grandparents who are writing memoirs for their Grandchildren. I believe passionately in the power of stories and encourage you too to write and record your individual stories/ feelings for the children. Remember — these little ones will one day be grown up and want to know all about their loving Grandparents. This is important and something we can do now, because, 'writing leaves traces of us’. Coming to Writing - Helene Cixous 1991

I am the newsletter writer/ editor, committee member, librarian and helpline support for PFLAG Perth, a support group for parents, families and friends of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and intersex young people and adults. This group supports family and friends of: out, questioning, depressed and/ or suicidal youth and adults. My articles on topics related to gay issues and/or denied Grandparents have been published in the Connect Groups (WISH) website, Seniors WA news, COTAWA (Council on the Aging) newsletter, and the Have-a-Go Newspaper for seniors. A radio interview with Graham Mabury also achieved some extra welcome publicity for GranPower.

I have for many years now sponsored two children from impoverished countries through Children International, from a limited income and receive far more from this experience than I give. These children write little hand written letters of gratitude, carefullydescribing exactly what they have bought with their gifts - usually clothes and school needs. I urge anyone who has experienced their gifts as no longer wanted or needed, as 'disappeared' and sometimes even returned to sender, to take up the opportunity to give where it will be received with loving gratitude.

I care for my elderly mother, who has been unwell and very sad at the current family circumstances. My most satisfying achievement has been the founding of GranPower; watching Grandparents coping just a little better than they were before our support network was available. Sadly the group is growing Australia wide at an alarming rate. This has been an amazing journey for me on a personal level, with its sometimes hilarious highs and its often unspeakable lows. It has however given me a mission and the opportunity to make a difference.

I have been a volunteer assistant at El Kanah, a Christian Guest House in Marysville, Victoria over many years. Sadly now this beautiful town and surrounding areas are all gone, with tragic losses of life. Our circumstances seem to pale in comparison to other's life challenges.

My hobbies are my garden, writing and reading as I love books. And in my spare time I babysit for my daughter-in-law and son. I have just finished editing a manuscript for a friend who has written her autobiography, and edited and printed copies of a short story for my eldest granddaughter, which she has, with a little help written and illustrated herself. I am a peace loving woman who walks gently on this Earth, an easy going partner, caring daughter and sister, gentle auntie, loving mother, and a patient devoted grandmother - a Grandma who treads puddles, climbs trees, braves flying foxes, bushwalks and cherishes making memories with my Grandchildren while sharing their little worlds.