Like many Australians, the Denton family have found 2021 to be a challenging year. Kandis Denton, who lives in Telopea, western Sydney, has not seen her young son or adult daughter Kelli, who both live in Victoria, for over three months due to the state-wide lockdowns.The devoted mum regularly video-calls her ten-year-old child and says it has been a painful time for everyone. “I was seeing him quite regularly when the Covid restrictions weren’t so tight, but once the borders closed I wasn’t even allowed to apply for an exemption to travel.“He’s been doing Facetime with us every day and it’s been difficult. But it’s been good to see his smiley little face on the phone.”Ms Denton’s mother, Kerry Thorn, who lives in Geelong’s Leopold, broke her arm several months ago when she fell during quarantine after rushing to get back to Victoria due to a snap border closure. Adding to the family’s nightmare year, Ms Denton’s husband, Lee Bailey, missed out on his father’s 80th birthday celebrations in the UK due to the closure of Australia’s international borders. But 2021 has not been all doom and gloom for the family, who received some much needed relief in the form of a surprise Zoom call from the stars of their favourite TV show, Packed to the Rafters, after they won an Amazon Prime competition. Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson and George Houvardas surprised the Denton clan, ahead of the much-anticipated reboot Back to the Rafters, as they gathered online to celebrate Kandis and Lee’s one-year wedding anniversary. Gibney said 2021 had been a challenging year for families who were trying to stay connected. “All of us from Back to the Rafters understand how tough it is for families to mark these important milestones so it was so lovely to spend time with the Denton family, even virtually, and lift their spirits,” Gibney said. “This year has presented more challenges for Aussies trying to stay connected to their families than ever before, and we see this reflected in the new series with the Rafters family. Whether they are crammed under the same roof, or spread out across different cities, we see that, even as life moves on, family doesn’t.”Relationships Australia NSW CEO Elisabeth Shaw said quality relationships were going to be more important now more than ever.“While we can’t use physical contact to reinforce feelings at present, it is tempting to put things on hold and trust everyone will be where we left them pre-lockdown. However distance and silence can have a negative and eroding effect on relationships. A non-negotiable recurring Zoom catch-up, for example, can keep everyone securely and predictably connected. “It’s also important to find new ways to celebrate milestones together, shake things up a bit. Balance routines with change. Ring out of the blue, email, text, send amusing gifts, anything to say “I am thinking of you”. If everyone is Zoomed out, then these can all be valuable ways to feel held.” All six episodes of Back to the Rafters will be available to stream exclusively from September 17 on Amazon Prime Video.
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