Loved ones are rallying around a young father after his wife of 32 years tragically died just a month after giving birth to their newborn daughter.
Aileen Wilkinson, who worked as a nurse at Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, died after suffering a fatal “medical episode” on Wednesday.
Starting Friday night, a GoFundMe had raised more than $75,000 for the Irish-born nurse.
“As you may know, we have suddenly lost the beautiful Aileen following a tragic and unexpected event,” wrote organiser Kieran Joyce.
‘Aileen leaves behind her wonderful partner Marco and her beautiful baby girl Rosa, whom she gave birth to on July 23, 2024.
‘During this difficult time, we are creating this GoFundMe to cover the immediate costs associated with Aileen’s return to Ireland and also to arrange for Rosa’s future.’
In a separate fundraiser, the family of the dedicated nurse and new mother described her sudden death as an “unimaginable loss.”
Melbourne nurse Aileen Wilkinson, 32, died suddenly just a month after becoming a mother
“She was not only a dear friend to many, but also Marco’s beloved partner and the loving mother of Rosa, her beautiful one-month-old baby,” they said.
“This tragic event has left us and their families in deep pain.”
Some decided to share memories of Ms. Wilkinson on the GoFundMe campaign.
“Aileen was a true light in the world,” wrote her friend Michael Browne. “Every room she walked into, she made it instantly better.”
‘She was a big goofball sometimes and that made her all the more endearing. I’m glad I got to call her a friend and that she once dressed me in drag.
‘I hope Rosa inherits everything that made Aileen so great! Rest in peace.’
Her former nursing colleague Regina Crudge wrote that she was “very saddened to hear of Aileen’s sad passing”.
“I always think of her as the lovely Aileen because she was, in every sense. My deepest condolences to her partner, family and friends on their terrible loss,” he wrote.
Local news website sassproject wrote that “the North Melbourne community is in mourning following the sudden and tragic death of Aileen Wilkinson, who passed away unexpectedly on 21 August 2024.”
‘Aileen, 32, leaves behind her partner, Marco Lecci, and her one-month-old daughter, Rosa, who now faces a future without her mother,’ the site reported.
A friend of Ms Wilkinson said that “every room she walked into, she instantly made it better”.
Ms Wilkinson had been completing her masters in advanced nursing at the University of Melbourne and won the university’s Catherine Wotton Ovarian Cancer Scholarship last year, which supports the work of gynaecological nurses.
“The Catherine Wotton Scholarship has given me the opportunity to improve patient care and I am truly grateful for this scholarship and the opportunity to make a difference in the field of nursing,” she said at the time.
‘I am extremely grateful to Catherine Wotton’s family and friends for their contributions to help fund nurses pursuing higher education and feel extremely fortunate to be the tenth recipient of this scholarship.’