A New Foster Child for Roo? Yes, and She’s Been a Handful!

Roo Stewart (Georgie Parker) has recently taken on a new foster placement in Summer Bay, welcoming a young girl named Eliza Sherwood (played by Martha Kate Morgan) into her home. Eliza’s arrival came after a fire destroyed her previous foster home, and she quickly proved to be a complex and deeply troubled individual.

While Roo approached the fostering with her characteristic warmth and enthusiasm, Eliza’s behaviour has caused significant worry and distress. From the outset, Eliza appeared distant, shut down, and frightened. However, it soon became clear that her issues ran much deeper.

Eliza’s Disturbing Actions and the Impact on Roo:

• Suspicious Behaviour: Eliza arrived with only a music box containing unsettling items, including a lock of hair and a scratched-out photograph. She quickly showed signs of manipulative and even dangerous tendencies.
• Theft and Threats: Eliza was caught stealing money from Marilyn Chambers’ purse, and she also made veiled threats towards Marilyn, eventually causing Marilyn to move out of the Stewart house due to feeling uncomfortable and unsafe.
• Concerning Obsessions: Eliza developed an unsettling fascination with surgery and weaponry, even stealing a fishing knife. She also exhibited an alarming interest in pregnant Harper Matheson, going so far as to touch her bump without permission and later filming her birth.
• Withholding Medication: In a truly shocking turn, Eliza deliberately withheld Alf’s heart medication when he suffered chest pains, putting his life at severe risk.
• Suspected Arson: The most alarming suspicion is that Eliza may have been responsible for burning down her previous foster home. Marilyn and Tane Parata both expressed concerns about her behaviour, with Tane witnessing her disruptive actions during his youth programme.

Roo, ever the optimist, initially gave Eliza the benefit of the doubt, trying everything within her means to reach the troubled teen. However, after the incident with Alf’s medication and the mounting evidence of Eliza’s dangerous tendencies, Roo had no choice but to find her a new foster placement.

The storyline has been incredibly challenging for Roo, leaving her emotionally drained and questioning her ability to foster. Doctors suspect Eliza has conduct disorder and psychopathic traits, leaving a lasting impact on Roo and Alf. This difficult experience has certainly pushed Roo to her limits, but it remains to be seen if it will deter her from fostering in the future, despite Alf’s desire for her to take a break.

Roo Stewart (Georgie Parker) has recently taken on a new foster placement in Summer Bay, welcoming a young girl named Eliza Sherwood (played by Martha Kate Morgan) into her home. Eliza’s arrival came after a fire destroyed her previous foster home, and she quickly proved to be a complex and deeply troubled individual. While Roo…