‘Beautiful soul’: Gold Coaster’s loving tribute after mum Jenna Gallagher’s sudden death
A heartbroken Gold Coast woman has paid loving tribute to her friend of decades after the mum of four tragically lost her life to suicide.
Gold Coast
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A heartbroken Gold Coast woman has paid loving tribute to her friend of decades Jenna Gallagher after the mum of four tragically lost her life to suicide.
Nerang resident Rachael McMillan has remembered her friend, who died at 38, as a “soft, kind and loving soul” after her sudden loss last month.
Ms McMillan said the pair had known one another since they were 14.
“Jenna was quiet [at school], but I could trust her with anything, we did everything together,” she said.
“She was a young mum and she just wanted to find a place in the world - I suppose she struggled with that all her life - but we were inseparable.
“She went through so much and I think she suffered in silence a lot longer than anyone realised.”
Ms McMillan looked back on a message she received from Jenna in the days before her death, saying she had not “read between the lines”.
“She lost her husband years ago, and I don't know if she ever really recovered from it,” she said.
“She was just a beautiful soul that took in everyone, loved everyone, and her love was pure.”
Still grappling with the tragic loss, Ms McMillan set up a GoFundMe to raise money to help support her friend’s children.
“It’s just tragedy from both ends for these children - they lost their father and I just want to sort of break the cycle of and bring awareness to mental health,” she said.
“My main concern is her children and helping them the best I can.”
Concerns were raised for Ms Gallagher’s partner, Derrick Hearne, who left their Toowoomba home the day before she died to go on a 150km motorcycle ride.
Mr Hearne was found in bushland after an extensive two-day search and taken to hospital for treatment.
The couple each had their own children.
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