Support Emily Van Osta’s Fight Against Melanoma

It is with utter disbelief that we write this appeal to everyone who knows the beautiful Van Ostas.

Last week on December 15th, our dear Emily was told that the melanoma on her arm she had previously been cleared of had returned, now with three aggressive tumors in her liver. She would need to begin immunotherapy immediately.

Immunotherapy is a powerful, targeted treatment for a powerful and incredibly strong individual, and we believe it will work wonders for our girl. However, as you can imagine, this comes with significant side effects and growing out-of-pocket expenses for this young family.

In the meantime, her friends and family are determined to offer as much support as possible to Em, Tones, and their children, Violet (8) and Eddie (6).

Anyone who has had the privilege of crossing Em’s path knows that she is always the first to offer a helping hand. She shows pure kindness, empathy, and consideration to everyone she meets. And alongside being an extraordinary person, Emily and Tony are an unstoppable team—two go-getters who have already accomplished so much at such a young age. 2025 was set to be no different.

On Friday, December 20th, they fulfilled their dream of owning an Airbnb on Straddie (which co-incidentally came with the name “Jara”, which means “healing”!). They were also planning a family trip to Yamba for Christmas, followed by a trip to Japan in January. Yes, you read that correctly!

Our girl is truly unstoppable. In fact, the day after she began her treatment, Emily went to Straddie to help set up their new Airbnb. Are we surprised?

As Emily spearheads her treatment over the next few months, we’d love to support her and her family with a fund that can help ease some of the burdens they may face.

This will give them the freedom to avoid rushing back to work, spend quality time together as a family, and relieve the pressure of needing to rent out the Airbnb, instead providing Emily with a peaceful retreat for her recovery, if she wishes.

Em, if we weren’t already, everyone is in absolute awe of your immeasurable strength. You are grace and kindness itself and we are with you every step of the way.