- Help our families to come together for SORRY BUSINESS on Palm Island
Why Does This Matter?
Our family has lost a beloved member in the most devastating and traumatic of ways on the 14th of June 2016. The son of Tom and Gwen Geia of Palm Island, Shae Errol Charles Palmer, 40, died recently in The Townsville Hospital several days after suffering a severe head injury in an assault.
Shae was a loving and outgoing man, who was known in his home communities of Palm Island and Yarrabah as someone who was always full of life and fun. Shae was also a much loved brother, uncle, nephew and friend. He is remembered as a very respectful young man, to others and to his Elders.
In the words of his father Tom: “Shae, was the son who continuously strived to impress me, he would come to the place of my work at smoko time and say ‘dad, how are you’?
Shae leaves a pregnant partner and seven children under the age of 14 years. His mother Gwen shared that: “Shae always talked about his children and how much he loved them. He was our only son, and we are thankful for the blessings he brought into our lives - Shae loved life.”
His Aunty, Lynore Geia said: “Shae’s life touched so many people, and his tragic passing has devastated so many; we need to bring everyone together to enable us all to heal and to care for each other and our well-being during this time, particularly our young people.”
As a family, we are reaching out to the wider community for your help in this difficult time.
Shae’s sudden, traumatic death leaves his family struggling to cope, and to meet the significant expenses of holding a funeral ceremony on his island home, Palm Island, where it is important our family gather to farewell him in the proper way.
We are seeking your help to raise funds to bring our family members to Palm Island for his funeral, which will be held on July 8. Shae's death was unexpected and so sudden, the expenses are beyond our reach, particularly at a time when we are dealing with so much grief and anguish.
How Can You Help?
We need to raise $12,600. This will be used to;
• Hire a ferry to bring family on a return trip from the mainland to Palm Island for the funeral, this will allow the ferry to anchor off shore and wait for the ceremony to finish.
• Meet associated funeral expenses – this includes food/catering for up to 300 people who will attend the funeral, and also to assist others who need help with travel to Palm Island.
• Help Tom and Gwen with their living costs so that they can have some time out from financial worries, to focus on their healing and recovery after the funeral.
Funerals are an extremely important part of SORRY BUSINESS in culture. We are reaching out the the wider community for assistance to help us to pay our proper respects to Shae. If you are able to help, it would ease the burden of our grief, and make space for us to begin healing.
This crowdfunding campaign is supported by IndigenousX.
