Help us survive after our Mum's sudden passing

My name is Catherine and this is for my mum, Hong and our family. I am immensely grateful that you are taking the time to read my family’s story and joining me in honouring her incredible legacy. 

Hong was an extraordinary mother, wife and woman who touched the hearts of every person she met. She escaped Southern Vietnam in 1979 after enduring unimaginable hardship in the years after the Fall of Saigon (30th April 1975), which officially marked the end of the Vietnam War. However, this event only compounded the uncertainty of survival for all Vietnamese peoples, in particular Southern Vietnamese peoples.

My mum miraculously survived an arduous journey across unknown waters and faced unpredictable dangers, some of which involved a boat-engine breakdown, being stranded in the middle of the ocean for days without drinkable water and a run in with pirates. It is estimated that a million Vietnamese people died when they undertook similar journeys in the years following the war, including many of my parents’ relatives. My mum finally arrived in Australia as a refugee seeking asylum months later, with only the clothes on her back, her resilience and courage. Despite not knowing any English, amazingly my mum was able to quickly build a life for herself in Melbourne (Naarm), Victoria and always found ways to contribute to the community throughout her life. She met my dad, who was also a refugee due to the war, in 1983 while working at Australia Post, married him in 1988 and had my sister and I in 1993 and 1997, all the while persevering through the numerous obstacles that arose due to being a refugee and woman of colour. She worked tirelessly to support herself, my dad and her extended family, as well as raising us, working full-time at a women’s refuge for twenty years, aiding women and children to be free from family violence. In the later years of her life, she continued dedicating her time to helping others as an Interpreter and Early Childhood Educator.

My mum was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in January 2019 and was given a three month prognosis. Her unmatched determination and the unconditional support she received from my dad helped her defy the odds by ten times the initial prognosis. Throughout her illness, she fought hard to continue supporting our immediate and extended family financially, emotionally and practically, as we too battled with our own health issues during this time. My mum was our rock and anchor, despite the immense pain she was in. She was the kindest, most empathetic person, who gave her love freely, often sharing home cooked meals and thoughtful words. Sadly, on the 31st of May 2021, after months of stability, she suddenly passed away after a two and half year battle with cancer. Thankfully she is no longer in pain, though the devastation of her loss is felt deeply by our family and community. My mum’s altruism continued to shine through until the end of her life, as our last conversation together involved her asking me to promise that I would prioritise my studies in the face of upcoming adversity. 

Her sudden death has left my family struggling to survive financially as the rapid deterioration of her condition meant that she could not organise life insurance before she passed away. This means that my family is unprepared for the funeral costs of $19,000, additional costs for her tomb, as well as upcoming rental payments and ongoing living expenses (bills, groceries, transport etc). Further, we are currently in our fourth lockdown as of the 27th May 2021, which is the highest number of lockdowns in Australia. This is the third lockdown we have entered into with less than 24 hours notice and the second lockdown that has been extended longer than the initial announcement, with limited government financial support. Our dire financial situation has been exacerbated due to the Federal government’s withdrawal of funding for additional financial support for citizens on welfare payments after only 6 months at the beginning of COVID-19 in Australia. This pushed myself and 740,000* Australians once again below the poverty line as of the 25th September 2020, despite Melbournians enduring over 160 days in lockdown throughout this ongoing pandemic. 

My mum’s battle with bowel cancer has been tremendously costly and severely depleted my family’s already limited financial resources. One of the medications she relied on for survival from January 2019 until her recent passing, cost $3,400 a month. This alone amounted to $102,000 and does not include the extensive costs of her surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, hospital admissions, doctor consultations and other medications. 

Additionally, my parents’ financial struggles began much earlier in my childhood due to the GFC and the unanticipated redundancy of both my parents’ long-term jobs several years prior to my mum’s diagnosis, among other extenuating factors. My dad’s and my ability to work has been diminished due to COVID-19. We cannot find work as the pandemic has severely reduced the job opportunities in the Hospitality and Information Technology industries.Further, my dad’s age categorises him as high risk of contracting and being severely impacted by COVID-19. These accumulative circumstances led to the devastating loss of our resident home in 2020 during an unprecedented four month lockdown, at the height of the pandemic in Melbourne. 

We desperately ask our family, friends and community to please donate to our cause, no matter the amount, to allow us to survive through these difficult circumstances, as well as the pandemic. We set this goal at $50,000 to help us pay for the funeral and tomb costs, necessary ongoing living expenses and to prevent further distress as we grieve in these exceptionally challenging times. Your contributions will help us stay safe from COVID-19 and prevent the loss of our current rental home, which our Mum loved and found nourishment in at the end of her life. We only have enough savings to pay our rent and living costs for the next one and a half months. I will leave this fundraiser open and please know that we are truly appreciative of all contributions.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you in advance for your compassion and generosity xxx



 *Estimated statistic source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/aug/31/jobseekers-in-locked-down-melbourne-brace-for-devastating-300-cut-to-welfare