Let me introduce you to my mum, Simonne Murray and why I’ve set up this GoFundMe on her behalf.

Mum has just recently been diagnosed with a particularly nasty skin cancer on her face. Because of its proximity to her brain, invasive surgery is the only viable option. Unfortunately, this involves removing a significant portion of her facial structure, including her nose and cheek.

Knowing that she’ll probably be seriously disfigured, and that she might scare the 7 grandchildren she loves so much, she is extremely disinterested in any surgical procedure at all, which means this cancer is a death sentence. She’s only just turned 60 and has so much living to do.

Simonne’s had a pretty rough time of it after already surviving uterine cancer in her thirties and her own father’s cancer illness and death earlier this year, which consumed all her savings. Unfortunately after years of paying for private healthcare, she is currently uncovered.

While the public medical system will cover the removal of the cancer itself, it does not extend to the reconstructive surgery, which is estimated to cost around $40,000.

This is why we need your help. We’d appreciate any contribution to our GoFundMe, no matter how small. All funds will go towards her facial reconstruction surgery costs.

A little bit more about my mum:

Simonne is a loud sneezing, big-hearted, straight-talking, gloriously unique human. She’s a big laugher. Actually when you get her going, she’ll laugh so hard that she cries and makes no sound at all. That is truly one of my favourite things in the world.

She has spent a lifetime putting others first. Her dad left when she was young and she helped her working single mum raise her two younger siblings.

She and my dad fell in love when they were only kids themselves, and have had more than their fair share of life's challenges including raising three neurodivergent children of their own on a shoestring budget. They are the reason I know what love looks and feels like.

After I graduated from uni, mum finally put herself first and headed back to school. Since then she has been supporting people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

She’s president of her local CWA and adores being part of their community of beautiful women, supporting each other through life’s challenges and celebrations.

She’s an unashamed daggy kitchen dancer, toaster of marshmallows, builder of pillow-forts, and enchanting reader of children’s stories.

She’s the kind of incredible person who will drive two hours to bring you fresh eggs from her chooks just because she knows how much you love them.

She’s the kind of mum who’ll take you to the zoo on a school day when it’s less overwhelming, and to the beach before school in the summer just because it’s magical to watch the sunrise in the cool water.

She’s the kind of mum who picks you up early on sports day because she knows you absolutely hate it and the afternoon is better spent at the museum for just the two of you.

Or comes to get you from anywhere at all at 2am, no questions asked.

Or who works three jobs so you can have music lessons as a kid, even though your family really can’t afford it.

She’s the kind of mum who breaks generational trauma. Who made sure we were always safe, even though she didn’t always rest in safety as a child herself.

Chances are, if you know my mum, you have stories like these about her. Stories of how she made your life better, or at the very least a bit less terrible, just because she could, because that’s just who she is.

These are some of the reasons she deserves all the support in the world and why we would appreciate any support you can offer.

Thank you, Julie