A fundraiser has been established to support the Smith family after three of their children perished in a tragic plane crash on Friday.
On Friday Raphael, Evita and Philomena, and their grandfather Peter, died when the light plane they were travelling in crashed and burst into flames. Friends and family from both Armidale, where they live, and Tamworth where they lived some years ago, have reached out with condolences and offers of support.
“This loss will reverberate through the lives of Elise, David, Eamon and Reuben, and Therese, Peter’s wife and the children’s grandmother. The Nally and Smith extended families are forever changed by having known these wonderful people, little and big,” the fundraiser reads.
“The joy they brought to our lives cannot be undone. They were wildly imaginative, clever, fun and compassionate.”
The fundraiser page, set up by a family friend Elizabeth Viney, reveals that the children had been on a school holiday trip with their Poppy to the zoo, and all three were passionate Penrith Panthers supporters who had recently enjoyed watching their team win the Grand Final last Sunday.
“They were happy kids who knew, every day, how much they were loved.”
The fundraiser is intended to help the family with the costs over the coming months. However, David and Elise Smith, have also suggested donating in the children’s names to a charity aligned with their lives.
“Alternatively, buy a loved one a book and read it with them, go for a play in the park or a swim, visit a zoo, hug your kids tight, and say a little prayer for us all,” the fundraiser reads.
Donations can be made here https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-smith-family-after-their-tragic-loss
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