Glenn Prattley says he is taking things one day at a time after finally being told his partner and 5-week-old daughter were killed in the Christchurch earthquake.
The former Dunedin man is recovering from his quake injuries in Dunedin Hospital.
"I'm getting there. I am finding it a wee bit hard," Mr Prattley (28) said from his hospital bed last night.
Mr Prattley, his partner Kelsey Moore (18) and baby daughter Taneysha had gone to town to drop off Mr Prattley's sister, Rochelle, at the bus depot on February 22.
She was on her way home to Mosgiel after visiting the couple. The group had dropped off Miss Prattley's bags and were walking along Manchester St when the quake struck.
Mr Prattley said he remembered pushing his sister out of the way of falling glass, before his legs were crushed by falling masonry.
He did not see what happened to Ms Moore and Taneysha, and passed out shortly after he saw someone pull his sister out from under the rubble.
He woke up without his partner and baby, and no idea where they were. One of Miss Prattley's feet was crushed and both Mr Prattley's legs, one broken.
The siblings are both now recovering on the same ward at Dunedin Hospital, near their Mosgiel-based parents.
Mr Prattley said last night he had a feeling from the start that Ms Moore and Taneysha were dead, despite being told at one point they were at Starship Hospital in Auckland.
"I sort of knew, yes and no, I sort of knew they were gone and stuff, but you hope it's not true."
Despite trying to get answers the whole time, he was only officially told on Sunday night they had died- 13 days after the quake - when a police officer delivered the bad news to his hospital bed.
Their names were officially released by police yesterday.
Mr Prattley said he was determined to make it to the funerals, this Saturday in Christchurch, of his partner of two years and the daughter born five weeks ago, on the day before his own 28th birthday.
"I've said to the doctors, no matter what, I want to get up for the funeral, to pay my last respects to the two of them."
It was hard, but he was taking everything one day at a time at the moment, he said.
He hoped to be released from hospital today, but his sister would need a skin graft, which would be done after the funerals next week.
Mr Prattley said he had no wish to live in Christchurch again and would move back in with his parents, Gail and Stan Prattley, for the immediate future.
He expected it would be tough, but his father had arranged some counselling for him, and his family was a great support, he said.
Gail Prattley last night said she was spending much of her days at the moment by her children's bedsides at the hospital. Her son and whole family were devastated by the loss of Ms Moore and baby Taneysha, she said.
Deep down, they had all been hoping for a miracle, and it was heart-wrenching to finally hear the worst after waiting so long for news. Her granddaughter was a tiny dot, who was gorgeous and absolutely adored by her son, she said.
"I think you do hang on to hope," Mrs Prattley said.
"You've still got to battle on, but there will always be gaps in our lives now."
The whole Prattley family was now preparing to travel to Christchurch with Glenn and Rochelle for the funerals of two young people who were simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time".