WHEN Cassie Johnston was diagnosed with a rare but aggressive cancer in 2019, she wanted to make sure her two children would be well looked after if - or rather when - she died.
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She moved back to Newcastle from Cairns to be closer to her family, and her children - Jack and Maddison - began staying with her sister, Sara, every second weekend.
It meant that when Cassie died in July, 2020 - aged 33 - the children's transition to move in with their aunt was just a little smoother.
Jack was four years old at the time. Maddison was one.
"At that point we had already made arrangements with their schooling and their daycare so that when it happened, all we had to work through was the grief - because that's hard enough without all the other big changes," Sara Johnston said.
Ms Johnston was nine weeks pregnant when her sister died, and she already had a son from a previous relationship.
Her partner, Chris Wilson, also had three children - and while he is not their primary care giver, it means for two days a fortnight the couple now has seven children under the one roof.
Ms Johnston said Cassie's children had still been in contact with their father - who had been unable to care for them. But when he took his own life, it added another layer of loss to their already profound grief. A new family, a new house, and a new routine - compounded with the death of both of their parents - was a lot of change, all at once, for Jack - now 6, and Maddison, 4.
Ms Johnston, a teacher, wanted to ensure they had all the therapy, care and support they needed, which came at a big cost.
She said due to their situation being classified as a "family arrangement", neither the state or federal governments offered any financial support.
They were funding the therapy privately until the Sleapy's Foundation - which had been helping Cassie pay for her cancer medication - stepped in to offer both financial and moral support.
"After Cassie passed, they knew she had two children, and they reached out and said, 'Sara, we committed to Cassie, and just because she has passed our support doesn't end. We are continuing that for Jack and Maddison'," she said. "Sleapy's are just great at welcoming you into the community, and they are constantly checking in on me. They have been wonderful. We are so grateful for their support."
Ms Johnston said everyone goes through hard times.
"We are no different - but we are big on the gratitude practice. Even on a hard day, we can be grateful for the support or a cuddle or something. Sometimes I'm just grateful for a glass of wine," she joked.
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Anita Beaumont
Anita Beaumont is a health and general news reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
Anita Beaumont is a health and general news reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
