Claire Reid
Australian Olympic basketball star Abby Bishop has opened up about what it’s like to be the adoptive mother of her niece Zala - and admits that it’s not always smooth sailing.
A decade ago, 34-year-old athlete was at the height of her career - she was star basketball player for the Canberra Capitals and Australian Opals and had the world at her feet.
However, everything changed in an instant when her sister Chloe gave birth but was too ill to look after the newborn.
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The baby, named Zala, faced being taken into care by the Department of Human Services.
Without giving it a second thought, Abby stepped up to take on the newborn.
In an interview with the Herald Sun, Abby revealed: “I still remember the moment there were two DHS officers standing there with clipboards - I said, ‘No, she's not going to foster care, she's coming with me’, I absolutely did not think twice, she's family.
“I had nothing for a baby, literally had to go to Kmart and grab bottles and I bought a cheap pram and some blankets and clothes and nappies.
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“Mum used to own a motel in Darwin, so I got a room for free and here I was by myself in a hotel with a two-day-old.”
Incredibly, Abby pushed on with her career on the court - in fact, she was back playing just two days after taking custody of little Zala.
Fast-forward ten years, and the pair have travelled all over the world together.
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But it hasn’t always been easy, one day - when Zala was old enough to use the internet - she discovered the truth behind her birth and confronted Abby telling her: “You’re not my real mum.”
Opening up about the experience, Abby said: “I was playing for Bologna in Italy and Zala was going to an Italian school and she wasn't yet aware - I was still just Mum.
“I'd spoken to quite a few people about when is the right time to tell her but everybody had said to me 'you'll know when to do it, when your guts tells you'.
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“But I didn't get the chance to plan it. My first instinct was to say 'no, no, no, that's not true', because I didn't know what to do, it was just so sudden.”
The next day, Abby sat her down and explained everything.
“She asked a couple of questions and then that's it,” she said. “She hasn't really brought it up again with me.
“I'm just mum and I think she's only said once 'You're not my real mum' when she was in trouble.
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“I'm glad it happened like that now. It didn't change things between us at all and it allowed me to tell her the whole story.”