Lesley Kelly: Partner’s tribute to Mountain Creek Primary School teacher

A Sunshine Coast primary school teacher is being mourned by her heartbroken partner and daughters after she passed just weeks away from a last-ditch attempt to save her life.

The heartbroken partner of a beloved Mountain Creek primary school teacher has paid tribute to her after her battle with pancreatic cancer ended.

Lesley Kelly, 52, tragically died from cancer complications on August 21, 2022 after fighting the severe illness for close to 18 months.

Doctors previously gave the mother-of-two only three months to live in March, 2021, but she fought hard with the help of alternative medicines until a relapse led to her health declining in recent months.

Her partner Brett Walker along with their two daughters Melita and Ava started to raise money for groundbreaking treatment in Turkey which treated stage-four cancers.

Mr Walker said it was a race against time to get his partner well enough for the flight to receive the innovative treatment, but sadly her health rapidly declined and she died in hospital.

In the days since her death, Mr Walker has remembered the mother of his children who was “so generous” and “very caring”.

“She always put other people in front of her and was helping people whether they were students or friends,” Mr Walker said.

“She would stay back after school and help whether they would have a problem or something else, she was willing to put in that extra time with people.”

Mr Walker said he and his daughters would miss his partner’s infectious personality which led to so many people in her life gravitating towards her.

“Just her presence and outlook on life was always incredible, and she always had a sense a humour along with being very courageous.”

Mr Walker and Ms Kelly met at Buderim State School in 1992 where she taught Japanese, before they both moved to Thursday Island in the Torres Strait to do their country service.

After returning to the Sunshine Coast she started at Mountain Creek Primary School in 1996 and would finish her teaching career there, working for more than 25 years at the school.

In between those stints she would give birth to her daughters Melita and Ava.

Goodness Be business owner Bea Moss diagnosed with lung cancer

Luke Woods: Pacific Paradise man, 38, mourned after death in Mudjimba

Mr Walker said after Ms Kelly was diagnosed in March, 2021 with stage four pancreatic cancer she began to improve due to natural medicines but sadly relapsed.

“We were trying to get federally funded but we were going between Greenslopes Hospital and Sunshine Coast University Hospital,” Mr Walker said.

“The clinic in Turkey was something we were working towards as they treat the deadliest of deadly cancers and we had already started booking flights to make it over there.

“She just had to get that bit stronger for the flight as it was our last-ditch attempt, but she passed before it eventuated.”

Friends and family will be farewelling Ms Kelly at a special funeral service about 3.30pm at the Mountain Creek State School hall on Friday, September 2, 2022.