In short:
A Kalgoorlie couple have staged a unique gender reveal to give hope to others struggling to conceive through IVF.
asserted
couple → stag → IVF
Lance and Kristy Richards both work at the Super Pit gold mine and used the daily explosives blast for the gender reveal with coloured powder mixed in.
What's next?
asserted
What → work → powder
The couple are due to give birth to a baby girl early next year.
asserted
couple → give → girl
A WA couple who fell pregnant after 11 years of IVF treatments have celebrated their baby joy with a unique gender reveal, in the form of an explosive blast at one of Australia's biggest gold mines.
asserted
who → fall → mines
Lance and Kristy Richards both work at Kalgoorlie's Super Pit, about 600 kilometres east of Perth in Western Australia's Goldfields, as a dozer operator and truck driver, respectively.
asserted
Richards → work → operator
The couple wed in 2014 and are due to welcome their first baby in late January, following what they described as a "rollercoaster" journey with infertility.
"When we started IVF 11 years ago, we had high hopes and got pregnant straight away, but had a miscarriage at seven weeks, which really rattled us," Mr Richards said.
"
asserted
Richards → we → us
"Towards the end, we just accepted it wasn't going to happen, so we went to IVF appointments with no expectations of getting pregnant, but always the hope that maybe this time will be the one.
asserted
time → accept → expectations
Pretty in pink
Mrs Richards, who is 22 weeks' pregnant, said they were in "disbelief" after discovering they had conceived on a European holiday to Spain.
asserted
they → say → Spain
After sharing their baby joy with colleagues, they were convinced to stage a unique gender reveal incorporating the daily explosives blast at the Super Pit.
asserted
they → share → Pit
"We were incredibly private about it at the start, but there's a bit of a stigma around the whole IVF process, so hopefully this helps others to talk about it," Mrs Richards said.
asserted
Richards → be → it
"We live on the opposite side of the country to our family.
asserted
We → live → family
We came here from Queensland for the work and so our work crew is our family."
asserted
crew → come → work
The couple pushed the button to trigger the blast on Wednesday and a thick cloud of pink smoke told the couple, and hundreds of onlookers, they are expecting a baby girl.
asserted
they → push → girl
"It was great to share that moment with everyone," Mr Richards said.
asserted
Richards → share → everyone
"The IVF journey is such a hard one for anyone to go through and for us, sharing that journey with workmates and friends, to hear that cheer, that support, it's amazing.
asserted
it → go → cheer
"
"It was overwhelming," Mrs Richards said.
asserted
Richards → say → ?
Blasts for special occasions
Wednesday was not the first time the daily routine of explosive blasts has taken on a bigger meaning at the Super Pit.
asserted
routine → take → Pit
Since 2018, explosive crews have turned blasts pink for International Women's Day as part of a campaign to grow the mine's female workforce.
asserted
crews → turn → workforce
About 35 per cent of the 1,800-strong workforce at the Super Pit is female, according to Northern Star Resources human resources manager Nicole Musgrave.
uncertain
cent → accord → Musgrave
In 2019, crews went a step further by using 250 kilograms of pink powder and 100kg of high explosive to mark up the blast in the shape of the Venus symbol.
asserted
crews → go → symbol
Ms Musgrave said the gold miner had also previously blasted blue powder to raise awareness for men's mental health.
asserted
miner → say → health
She said she was pleased to approve the special request for two employees, but admitted there were no plans for further gender reveals at the mine.
"
asserted
she → say → mine
We have a lot of things come by our desk but this was a great one to endorse," she said.
asserted
she → have → desk
The Super Pit has been operating since 1989, measures 4km long and 1.6km at its widest point and is expected to continue operating until at least 2050.
asserted
Pit → operate → 2050
The Aporia