Hi, my name is Linda, and I live in Katherine, Northern Territory. I’m 81 years old, and I’ve spent my whole life in this region - raising my children here, working on Carlton Hill and Florina Stations, and building a life alongside my late husband, Bill.

Thirty-one years ago, Bill and I bought our Toyota Troop Carrier together. For us, it wasn’t just a car - it was part of our story. We used it to get to work, to visit family, to explore the bush. It held a lifetime of memories: Bill’s laughter, red dirt roads, and countless trips across the Big Rivers Region.

In May this year, my Troopy was stolen in broad daylight from the Katherine Shopping Centre car park while I was having coffee with friends. It was later found abandoned near Pine Creek, 120 kilometres north - the engine seized and beyond repair.

Losing that car has broken my heart. It was the last thing I had left that Bill and I shared. And without it, I’ve lost my independence too. I now rely on friends to do the basic things - like my shopping or going to see the doctor.

What I want more than anything is to get back a little freedom - to drive myself again, to visit my family, and especially being able to travel to Darwin to meet my third grandbaby, who was born just a week ago.

Dur to the age of the car, insurance hasn’t come through, and finding parts for a 31-year-old Toyota has proved impossible. I’m asking for help to buy a small, reliable second-hand car so I can regain some of what was taken from me - not just the transport, but the independence and connection to the people I love.

If you can spare even a little, it would mean the world to me. Every donation brings me one step closer to driving again - one step closer to seeing my family and feeling whole.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Linda