Wagga relatives mourn Zahra Baker who would have celebrated her 11th birthday today

The family of Zahra Baker is mourning the loss of a child they never got the chance to know, says her aunty, Nicole Dawson.Ms Dawson is the sister of Zahra’s mother, Emily Dietrich, and said the family could only piece together fragments of the girl’s life from media reports after police identified her remains in the US.She said lines of communication between Ms Dietrich and Zahra’s father, Adam Baker, had been closed for years and the family was now mourning “what could have been”.What should have been a celebration of Zahra’s 11th birthday yesterday was now a reminder of missed opportunities.Ms Dawson said they knew Zahra was ill with cancer but prayed she would pull through and were waiting for the right time to begin a relationship.“We thought: wait until she’s a bit older, she’s willing to ask the questions and find out for herself, and then have a more adult relationship,” Ms Dawson said.“There was the hope that when she was a bit older we could all come together and meet – but that’s just not going to happen now.”Ms Dietrich suffered post-partem depression after Zahra’s birth and Mr Baker had taken custody. She had not seen her child since she was eight months old.Ms Dawson said the ordeal had “torn her family apart” with many relatives not knowing how to grieve for a child they felt a connection to but did not know.Zahra has grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins in the Wagga area who are dealing with the loss in different ways.Ms Dietrich arrived back in Wagga yesterday after travelling to the US, and was being supported by friends who had prepared a birthday cake to mark Zahra’s birthday.Ms Dawson said family members were now choosing to remember media reports of a strong-willed girl who brought people together.“It’s a matter of bringing to light the life of a gorgeous little girl who has been treated abominably,” she said.“Someone whose strength does inspire others ... and brings together communities.“There’s just a feeling, I think, a bit of pride in knowing this girl is related to us.”