When Sonya Treloar’s premature infant son, Blake, passed away, there was no children’s hospice waiting to offer her family the privacy, time and space needed to absorb their tragic loss. She has recalled saying goodbye to Blake before he was taken away.
Nearly three decades on, that abrupt farewell deeply connects the prominent Brisbane real estate agent to Hummingbird House, Queensland’s only dedicated children’s hospice nestled quietly on Curwen Terrace in Chermside.
Her tragedy, and the compassionate care she wishes had been available to her own family, now underpin a vital community mission.
“My darling son Blake was born premature. He lived six weeks and then went to heaven,” Ms Treloar said.
“I never had an opportunity to spend time with him at a fabulous facility like Hummingbird House.
“The day that he died, I said goodbye and they took him away. Having time to grieve, to hold them, and to be with them after they’ve passed is so important to be able to say your goodbyes properly.”
A Chermside Sanctuary Built on Purpose
For Ms Treloar, supporting the Chermside refuge was never just a charitable gesture—it was a personal calling.
In the facility’s earliest days, she channelled her professional expertise as a real estate agent to assist founders Paul and Gabrielle Quilliam with property matters as they worked tirelessly to establish the hospice. The Quilliams conceived the idea after becoming foster parents to a child with a life-limiting condition and recognising the need for a children’s hospice in Queensland.
Their campaign ultimately secured a permanent home at Wesley Mission Queensland’s Wheller Gardens site in Chermside, creating a sanctuary away from clinical hospital wards where families could remain together.
Granting Families the Gift of Time
From its inception, Hummingbird House was designed to recognise that dying is a profound family journey rather than merely a medical event.
Operating as a licensed private healthcare facility with eight guest suites and five family accommodation units, the house allows relatives to stay for several days following a child’s passing. It gives parents, siblings and extended family time to say goodbye without being rushed—the kind of extended farewell Ms Treloar says she did not have when Blake died at six weeks old in 1996.
Beyond end-of-life and after-death care, the Chermside facility provides short-break stays, crisis and symptom-management stays, family support, allied health services and grief and bereavement support. Its facilities include a hydrotherapy pool and multisensory room.
Turning Personal Heartbreak into Community Action
Ms Treloar is once again turning her personal connection into active community leadership by hosting the annual Pink & Pearls for a Purpose fundraiser in support of Hummingbird House.
Confirmed by Wesley Mission Queensland, the event will take place on Friday, 25 September 2026, at Waters Edge at Portside in Hamilton, running from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm with individual tickets priced at $200 and tables of 10 at $2,000.
While Ms Treloar cannot alter her own final moments with Blake, her dedication ensures that other Queensland parents navigating the heartbreak of losing a child are granted a gentler, more dignified way to say goodbye.
Published 18-Aug-2026
