George Juhasz is a pretty tough bloke, but he had met his match in daughter Emma.An energetic, generous and strong willed young woman, 21-year-old Emma was the light in her father's life.But the heartbroken Shell Cove man lost his little girl on Saturday morning when she was struck by a car and tragically killed on Tongarra Rd at Albion Park.
Hundreds gather to farewell Emma Juhasz Read online tributes to Emma Juhasz"She was daddy's little girl, she really was, she was my girl," Mr Juhasz said."When I swam, she swam, when she ran, I ran."My little girl had everything to live for."A waitress at Collegians, Ms Juhasz was known as a woman who stood up for herself and what she believed in.But behind the tough exterior, she was also one of the girls, racking up huge mobile phone bills and splurging on Easter gifts for her family with dad's credit card.Still coming to terms with the news every parent dreads, Mr Juhasz was overwhelmed by the support the family had received from their friends and said he could not get through this terrible heartbreak without his close-knit family, particularly his partner Julie Hines and his teenage son David, 19."It's hard to take that she's gone at 21 years old - so young, so beautiful," he said."I've been hopeless, I haven't stopped crying, I can't understand why she's gone."The Juhasz family have had more than their fair share of tragedy, with Emma losing her beloved mum to Huntington's disease earlier this year after a 12-year struggle.Emma was given a 50 per cent chance of inheriting Huntington's, a crippling genetic disease that leads to gradual physical, mental and emotional changes."Emma's mum died on Valentine's Day," Mr Juhasz said."(Huntington's) was a disease that tore our family apart."We didn't know it was in our family but Emma was cleared at the age of 18, she had the rest of her life to live."Returning on Thursday from a holiday to Thailand, Mr Juhasz said the family had celebrated his return with a rambunctious play fight.He recalled how Emma jumped to his rescue when her young sister Georgia, 5, got a little carried away with her muay thai moves."Emma leapt off the bed and said 'that's my daddy' and we all had a big pumble," he said."We lay on the bed and discussed her future and what she was going to do because her mother had left her a gift, her and David, to use the money how they see fit."Emma said 'I'm going to London and I'm going to meet up with a friend and just have a look around and go overseas'."But sadly Emma's dream of travelling and seeing the world was not to be.Less than two days later Mr Juhasz's little girl was dead.Despite his overwhelming grief, he bears no anger towards the driver of the vehicle that struck her as she walked on or near Tongarra Rd in the early hours of Saturday morning, and expressed his compassion for the man and the burden he must be carrying."The poor boy, he just didn't see her," he said."It doesn't look like it was any fault of his and I really feel for him and his family."Emma will be buried with her mother's ashes on Thursday morning, but her presence will always be felt much closer to home.Mr Juhasz will remember his vibrant, beautiful daughter every night as he awaits the sound of her keys jingling at the front door, a sound he will never hear again."I will leave a light on for her every night of my life, for as long as I live and have a house I will leave a light on for her," he said."The first night I went to bed without her I thought I heard a car pull up about 1am and I just automatically, instinctively went to the window to see if she was there."
