It is with the deepest sadness and broken hearts that we share the sudden and unexpected passing of Leonie Heness, aged just 39.

Only two weeks before her passing, Leonie believed she had the flu or COVID. Like so many people, she waited, rested, and trusted her body would recover. Instead, she received the devastating diagnosis of stage 4 cancer. From the moment Leonie heard those words, everything moved frighteningly fast. She passed away just days later, on 18 January 2026. By the time Leonie’s cancer was discovered, it was tragically too late.

After an incredibly difficult 2025, Leonie and her family were holding hope for a brighter 2026. That hope was cut short far too soon.

Leonie was the very definition of love and selflessness. She was a devoted mum, a deeply loving wife, a cherished sister, a loyal best friend, and a respected colleague. Her world revolved around her two beautiful daughters, Hope and Faith, and her wife Amy, who were everything to her.

After being married earlier in life, Leonie later found the courage to fully embrace her true, authentic self as a lesbian woman. When she met Amy, she found her true love, and together they married and built a life grounded in love, pride, and deep connection. Leonie was profoundly happy, at peace with who she was and in the family she was building.

Faith lives with complex disability support needs, including Autism Level 3, Intellectual Disability, ADHD, and requires a high level of daily care and support. Leonie provided this support with unwavering dedication, strength, and love every single day.

Without Leonie, Faith now faces significant challenges in being able to live a full, supported life. Amy is now navigating unimaginable grief while continuing to care for their family, carrying responsibilities Leonie once held with strength and love.

Leonie had the biggest heart. She was inclusive, kind, and endlessly generous, the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her own back without hesitation. She believed fiercely in people, in dignity, in inclusion, and in hope, and she lived those values every single day.

Her compassion extended far beyond her family. Leonie was a committed mental health professional and an exceptionally experienced Service Manager with a deep passion for inclusive, trauma-informed, and person-centred practice. She advocated for and changed outcomes for the most disadvantaged people in our communities.

Throughout her 9 year career at Mind Australia, Leonie held numerous senior leadership roles, including Service Manager at the Toowoomba Community Care Unit, the Cairns Community Care Unit and Step Up Step Down Service, and most recently, Service Manager for the newly established Cairns Medicare Mental Health Centre.

She also undertook a secondment as Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Reconciliation Manager and stepped into Acting General Manager roles within Complex Care National Services on several occasions, a true reflection of the trust, respect, and confidence placed in her leadership.

Leonie contributed significantly to Mind’s Quality and Practice Team, the LGBTIQ+ Steering group, and was a key leader in First Nations partnership work across states. She was an early adopter of new initiatives, always striving to improve services and outcomes for people experiencing mental health challenges.

Above all else, Leonie believed fiercely in people, especially those who were unheard, overlooked, or living at the margins. She stood beside them, advocated for them, and worked tirelessly to ensure care was grounded in dignity, inclusion, and humanity.

This GoFundMe has been created to support Amy, Hope, and Faith during this heartbreaking time.

Funds raised will help ease the immediate financial burden following Leonie’s sudden illness and passing, contribute to memorial and funeral costs, and support Faith’s ongoing care and disability support needs, now and into the future.

Above all, this support will give the family something Leonie always tried to give others stability, dignity, and space to grieve.

Any contribution, no matter how small, is deeply appreciated. If you are not in a position to donate, sharing this page still makes a powerful difference.

Leonie’s love, strength, and impact will live on through the many lives she touched.

She will be forever missed, always loved, and never forgotten.