Donna Chapman remembered as “life of the party”

The Burdekin community has continued to pay tribute to Donna Chapman, with a close family friend saying “she meant more to me than this earth itself”.

The Burdekin community has continued to pay tribute to Donna Chapman, with a close family friend saying “she meant more to me than the earth itself”.

Ms Chapman was tragically killed in a three-car crash on Sunday that seriously injured her daughter Jade and her twin grandchildren.

While the boy is still in a critical condition in hospital, his twin sister is now stable.

Police will allege a Toyota Landcruiser travelling southbound on the Bruce Highway struck a Toyota Corolla, which then collided head-on with a Mazda 3, which was driven by Ms Chapman.

On Monday afternoon police charged the driver of the Landcruiser, a 22-year-old Ayr man, with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, whilst adversely affected.

Kailah Jade Pollard grew up and attended school together with Ms Chapman’s children and said she was the biggest part of her life since she was 12.

“I’ve called her Mum for many years, she adopted me as her own,” Ms Pollard said.

“She was the cool, awesome, crazy mumma bear to a lot of people, not just me. I could go to her any time of the night or day if I ever needed anything, she was just a phone call away.

“Every time I’d call just for someone to talk to because I was sad or angry or needed advice she would pick up the phone, without a doubt every single time.”

Ms Pollard said that Ms Chapman was there for her through her own struggles.

“Donna taught me that no matter how hard life is, or what life throws at you, never give up, never say you can’t do something, because with her there was no such word as ‘can’t’ in her eyes. She was there for me when no one else was on my darkest days, she was there when I was going through a lot of DV. She’s the reason I got out when I did.

Donna Chapman. Picture: Facebook

“She helped me through it all and she reminded me of who I once was and she taught me to never back down, and to stand up for myself, and I did, and I still do to this day.”

Ms Pollard said Ms Chapman had a big personality and was the life of the party.

“She was the life of the party, you would hear her and her music coming from a mile away. I’m like, ‘yep mumma bear is here’. She would always walk in my front door and say ‘heyyy (sic) it’s just me’ and go straight to the fridge.

“You couldn’t miss Mum with her loud voice, her gorgeous smile, her crazy laugh, and her happiness. Even on her toughest days when she would cry to me she still always managed to make me smile out of her sadness, she would do anything for anyone.”

The driver of the Landcruiser will face Townsville Magistrates Court on December 7.

Originally published as Donna Chapman remembered as “life of the party”