How you can help family that lost everything after thieves trash home

A Millmerran family was caring for their terminally ill father in Toowoomba when vandals ransacked their home, leaving nothing but a mess. Now the community is rallying to put their lives back on track 

A community fundraising campaign has been put together to help Jennifer and Geoff Gow rebuild after thieves ransacked their Cypress Gardens home last week.

While the crime is shocking but itself, it was made worse by the fact the Jennifer and Geoff have left their home unoccupied while he received treatment for Geoff’s terminal lung cancer.

“Everything was gone, and they just really trashed the place completely,” Mrs Gow said, overcome with emotion.

“They even took my front door.”

After discovering in March he had terminal lung cancer, Mrs Gow moved the family from their home at Cypress Gardens near Millmerran to a rental property costing $450 a week in Toowoomba to be closer to health services.

While she had friends keeping an eye on her home, someone slipped past and trashed the place.

She humbly asked the community for its help.

“My children and I struggle with the fact that my husband and their dad may be leaving us anytime now and now to then have people break into our home and take what they want.

“We are struggling … with all that’s to come in the next week or so it has worn us down.

“I would never ever usually ask for help and it is a very hard pill to swallow but I appeal to the good people that I know are out there to please help me and my family at this time in our lives.”

While preparing the family for a trip to SeaWorld on Monday to honour Mr Gow’s dying wish to see the ocean, paid for generously by a family friend, Mrs Gow received the phone call that her home had been burgled, vandalised and trashed.

Along with stealing large items like water tanks and horse floats, the vandals also appear to have stolen any valuables inside the house before emptying garbage bags across the house.

“I just broke down, I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

“I’m happy to give anybody anything – come and ask me and I’ll help you out.

“That wasn’t enough apparently – they decided they needed to take everything.”

Mrs Gow said she hadn’t told her husband about the burglary and was yet to drive out and see it for herself, saying she was too focused on taking care of Geoff during a period when his mental faculties were deteriorating.

“He’s got lung cancer that’s metastasised in his brain,” she said.

“It’s pretty severe and pretty fast-acting, I now find out.”

Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity on Wallaby Drive at Cypress Gardens between 5pm on Saturday and 8pm on Monday should ring Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or PoliceLink on 131 444.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support the family. To donate, head to the website.

Originally published as How you can help family that lost everything after thieves trash home