We all want to be able to farewell loved ones at the end of their lives, but the COVID-19 lockdown has made this a challenge for many people.
Ben Jackson, a sheep farmer in Guyra, a town situated midway between Armidale and Glen Innes on the NSW Northern Tablelands, was not able to see his beloved aunt Deb, who lived 400km away in Queensland, before her death after a two-year battle with cancer.
COVID-19 restrictions banned him from travelling to Brisbane to be at her funeral.
So Mr Jackson came up with a plan to show his love for his aunt using his sheep and a drone.
He scattered his grain for the sheep in the shape of a heart and then released his flock. After a few uneven attempts, Mr Jackson, thousands of his sheep and the drone nailed it.
He shared the video online and it has captured the world’s attention.
“There was no way I could get up there and see her, say cheerio, or go to the funeral,” he told the BBC.
“So, I felt hopeless, helpless – I didn’t really know what to do. But because I was doing a bit of feeding already, I just decided to do a massive heart in the ground, which in all earnest, pales in comparison to hers.”
Mr Jackson sent the video to relatives ahead of his aunt’s funeral on Monday. At the service, they played a Simon and Garfunkel classic, Bridge Over Troubled Water, over the vision and a picture gallery.
“She would be proud as punch to see so many people smiling and enjoying the heart I’ve made for her,” he said. “It’s just love. Love’s sensational.”
