Australian model Ellidy Pullin has revealed how she plans to spend Christmas with her daughter Minnie, three years after the death of her snowboarding husband Alex “Chumpy” Pullin.
The Olympic snowboarder was 32 when he drowned while spearfishing on the Gold Coast in July 2020, but through an incredible IVF and sperm retrieval process, Ellidy was able to have his baby Minnie.
The 30-year-old is now preparing for her third Christmas without him and the second with Minnie.
Australian model Ellidy Pullin has revealed how she plans to spend Christmas with her daughter Minnie (pictured together) three years after the death of her snowboarding husband Alex “Chumpy” Pullin
“There will be some presents from him under the tree for Minnie. We talk about Chumpy all the time. Minnie knows all about Chumpy,” she told Australian Women’s Weekly.
“At Christmas we will pay tribute to him by going to the beach together and playing his music at home. Apparently, [thinking of Chumpy] is hard, but it makes you feel better to celebrate the people you’ve lost on big days. It’s part of the healing process.”
The star also revealed the differences between her low-key Christmas celebrations and Chumpys.
“I met Chumpy in 2013 and that year I literally had a whopper burger for Christmas dinner while he was enjoying it with his parents and sister at their home in Eden. I didn’t tell Chumpy that for years because I was embarrassed by how low key my Christmas was compared to his,” she added.
The Olympic snowboarder (pictured) was 32 when he drowned while spearfishing on the Gold Coast in July 2020, but through an incredible IVF and sperm retrieval process, Ellidy was able to have his baby Minnie
Ellidy also explained that her family’s only tradition was to buy each other $4 worth of surfboard wax.
This year, she plans to spend Christmas Day at home.
“My door is always open. Literally, I never close it. So if you want to come by at Christmas, you’re more than welcome. Hopefully Chumpy’s parents, Chris and Sally, can make things right.’
She also explained that she didn’t want any “pressure” on the day, but she will make sure to make spinach and cheesecakes with Minnie.
The 30-year-old is now preparing for her third Christmas without him and the second with Minnie
The star (pictured) also revealed the differences between her low-key Christmas celebrations and Chumpy’s
“Chumpy’s mom taught him how to make the spinach triangles with puff pastry and we made them together occasionally or when we were hung over and needed comfort food. I love them and Chump loved them too, so they could become our little Christmas tradition,” she explained.
A two-time world snowboard cross champion, Chumpy was Australia’s flag bearer in Sochi in 2014 and a mentor to many aspiring snowboarders.
Chumpy drowned in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast on July 8, 2020. Ellidy later revealed that the couple had been trying to have a baby
Ellidy (pictured) also explained that her family’s only tradition was to buy each other $4 worth of surfboard wax
Pullin, 32, drowned that day. He is believed to be spearfishing alone on an artificial reef off the beach when he was spotted on the seabed by a snorkeler.
He was a two-time world boardercross champion and had represented Australia at three Winter Olympics. Minnie was born in October 2021.
Just hours after Pullin’s death, Ellidy’s quick-thinking brother and friends mentioned the process of sperm retrieval. Sperm collection from a body can take place up to 36 hours after death.
She also explained that she didn’t want any “pressure” on the day, but she will make sure to make spinach and cheesecakes with Minnie. The couple is pictured together
Under Queensland legislation, semen can be removed posthumously if a designated officer declares that the deceased would not object.
Immediate family consent is also required before sperm can be collected.
An IVF specialist will help with the removal with a recommended removal period of between 24 and 36 hours after death.
Ellidy’s recovery process took place through the use of ICSI IVF, where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg for fertilization.
She announced she was pregnant with Chumpy’s baby in June last year.
“The ocean has given way [Chumpy] life, and I didn’t think for a second that it would take the same life from me,” she explained.
‘Now everything is blurry. I can tell you what happened that day, but it’s more of a story than a memory. I don’t remember anything about that day other than the story I had to tell.’
Ellidy’s recovery process took place through the use of ICSI IVF, where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg for fertilization