This year began with personal joy for Jackson Hastings when he became a father in April and welcomed his daughter, Scottie. Three months later his mother died, and he has been processing a mix of grief and responsibility while adjusting to life without her.
Having signed for St Helens and preparing to return to the UK, Hastings says he is determined to honour his mother throughout his rugby career and beyond. He speaks about keeping her legacy alive for his child and for the rest of the family, noting how much she adored Scottie during the brief time they had together.
Hastings admits the loss has also left him struggling with anger. He is working to manage those emotions and to avoid letting them affect others, saying he wants to be a positive role model for people facing similar pain. He recognises there are no easy answers when dealing with bereavement and is focused on personal growth as part of his grieving process.
A former Super League Man of Steel in 2019 with Salford, Hastings returned to the NRL in 2022 after a two-year stint at Wigan. He reflects on how his mother was his biggest supporter and how grateful he is for the time they had together—time some of his younger sisters did not get. Those memories mean a great deal to him.
His last clear memory of her was a FaceTime call about four days before she died, when she appeared a shadow of the fit, happy person he remembered. That image is painful, but Hastings says it also motivates him to improve and to honour her by being the kind of parent she was to him. He hopes that if his own children see him the way he saw his mother, she will be watching proudly.