Hi, my name is Leonie, and I’m writing on behalf of my brother Shane Jnr and my dad Shane Senior.

On Monday 30th March, our lives changed in an instant. Both my dad and my brother were violently attacked in their own home by a neighbour who came onto our property and stabbed them.

My dad was targeted, and my brother stepped in without hesitation to protect him and they both prevented him from reaching the young children inside, who were there at the time. They had just been picked up from school by their grandpa-my dad, and instead they were exposed to something no child should ever have to witness. We are incredibly grateful that the children were not physically hurt and were brave getting out of danger, seeking other neighbours to call for help. We plan to help them emotionally from this traumatic event.

Both my dad and my brother have undergone emergency surgeries, and we are still waiting to understand the full extent of their recovery and what the road ahead will look like. It’s going to be a long journey — physically, emotionally, and financially.

We have started this GoFundMe to support them through their recovery. The funds will go towards medical expenses, time off work, and anything they need to heal and regain life again.

This was not the first incident involving this neighbour, we have had many harassments, threats especially to our children. We do NOT stand for it. We are urging anyone who feels unsafe by their neighbours — PLEASE SPEAK UP AND KEEP FIGHTING FOR YOUR SAFETY AND JUSTICE. No one should have to live in fear in their own home. We asked for help from authorities and spoke up continuously to protect our family but unfortunately things had turned for the worse.

We thank God every day that our family is still here. We know that not everyone gets this outcome, and we don’t take that for granted.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support, your prayers, and for sharing our story.