Broncos’ NRLW star Lavina Gould has revealed her gratitude for overwhelming support during worst time in her life
It’s been one of the worst times in her life, but Broncos’ NRLW star Lavinia Gould has been overwhelmed by the outpour of support by the rugby league community.
Lavinia Gould has spoken for the first time about enduring one of the most difficult times in her life this year, and her gratitude for the rugby league community.
Brisbane’s NRLW team, the club, NRL and supporters rallied around Gould and her teammate Toni Hunt in August when the extent of their devastating personal battles was revealed.
While Hunt was told her cancer had returned and she commenced chemotherapy for the second time, Gould was caring for her daughter who was in an induced coma after undergoing lifesaving surgery in Brisbane.
The heartbreaking circumstances rocked the Broncos and the NRLW community as a whole.
Both women stayed connected to their team, and Gould even returned to play a few games towards the back end of the season as a much-needed release from her constant worries.
But the pair became the inspiration for the women’s team through the remainder of the NRLW season, and the men’s team showed their support on the way to the NRL grand final.
Donations flooded in from all over the game as the community found ways to support.
And for Gould, it was mind-blowing.
“I never let on how serious things were, but the genuine support from the outset was amazing,” Gould says.
“Experiencing that first hand how ready everyone is to come together in crisis. When someone needs a hand, there are people out there who will help.
“It has been a very beautiful process in that regard.
“I can’t be more thankful to everybody.
“I keep things quite private, but my family were encouraging me to let people in and let them help me, because people want to help.
“I think the hardest thing to do is ask for help and then accept help.
“Once I did, I felt all the love and support.”
T-shirts organised and worn by Adam Reynolds and Pat Carrigan during the grand final captain’s run paying tribute to Hunt and Kaia are currently up for auction to raise money for the pair.
It’s the latest show of kindness that Gould is blown away by. “To have them initiate that, it speaks volumes about who they are as people,” she says.
“Adam Reynolds is a dad, so he would have felt an impact, and for Patty to get on board, these boys don’t have to do that but it’s just the kindness of their hearts.
“To think about someone else in grand final week, it’s huge and it speaks volumes for who they are.”
The auction closes on Monday at 6pm, with all money raised going to trust funds set up for Hunt and Gould through the Family of League foundation.
For Gould and her family, it will help with the ongoing costs associated with Kaia’s care.
She was released from hospital last month and is now out of a wheelchair and able to breath without an oxygen tank, but to have her child at home and safe is all she can ask for.
“She’s a totally different child, it’s been great. Just watching her strength, as a mum it blows my mind,” she says.
“She’s always going to have ongoing health issues with her kidney, but she’s still has a long way to go. One of her lungs is not functioning well, she has to be careful there, and her heart is still under a bit of stress because they weren’t able to get all of the clots. It’s just a process of letting the thinners work, which cold be months.
“But every day is a blessing. Every day is a good day when we’re waking up.
“We’re taking it day by day.”
CARRIGAN AND REYNOLDS’ HEARTFELT TRIBUTE FOR BRONCOS’ NRLW STARS
The Broncos have heart.
During NRL grand final week Pat Carrigan and Adam Reynolds went out of their way to pay tribute to two NRLW players doing it tough, and those T-shirts are now up for auction to raise much-needed funds.
In August it was revealed Toni Hunt and Lavinia Gould, beloved members of the Broncos’ women’s team, were undergoing deeply personal struggles they’re still dealing with.
Hunt, a 35-year-old mother of three, was told her cancer, metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, had returned after originally being diagnosed in 2022 and given the all clear to return to play in 2023.
She is still undergoing chemotherapy in her battle against the disease.
During the same time, Gould’s teenage daughter Kaia was in a coma in intensive care following complications from a lifesaving surgery.
Kaia was released from intensive care in September and was recently released from hospital completely although she is still dealing with health concerns.
But once the news of their heart-wrenching battle broke, the rugby league community rallied around them.
And now the Broncos are making another fundraising effort by hosting an online auction for Carrigan and Reynolds’ “All Heart” T-shirts – an idea the players developed themselves.
“I know this was something Reyno and Patty were really passionate about and wanted to do off their own bats – it’s pretty special,” said Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the Broncos family as a whole, and the way our players, coaching staff and everyone around the club, have supported Toni and Lavinia, who continue to inspire us every day.
“They’re both still putting in the hard yards in the off-season, you wouldn’t know what they’re going through behind closed doors – that’s strength.
“They’ve still got long journeys ahead, but we’ll be right there with them.”
The pair came up with the plan to wear Toni and Kaia’s name on the back of their shirts the day before the NRL grand final captain’s run, and behind the scenes thing worked quickly to get the gear organised.
The worn shirts are now up for auction on the club’s website – signed by each player, along with Carrigan’s worn boots and Reynolds’ used kicking tee.
So far, the bid for Carrigan’s shirt is $1000, while Reynolds’ is up to $770.
The money raised will go to trust funds set up for Hunt and Gould by the Family of League foundation, with the auction to close on Monday at 6pm.
Originally published as Broncos’ NRLW star Lavina Gould has revealed her gratitude for overwhelming support during worst time in her life
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