Millmerran and Malayali community gather for Bipin family

Almost $500,000 has been raised to support a young Indian father and his three-year-old son after they lost their family in a tragic crash just outside Milmerran.

Almost half a million dollars has been raised in three days to help the surviving members of the Bipin family after a horror head-on collision near Toowoomba claimed the lives of mother Lotsy Jose and two of her three children.

On Tuesday, the Millmerran and Malayali communities were united in their determination to mourn and pay tribute to mother of three Lotsy, 35, five-year-old Catelyn Bipin and eight-year-old Chris.
The Bipin family were moving from the News South Wales town of Orange to Brisbane when their Toyota Kluger collided head-on with a truck 18 kilometres outside of Millmerran on the Gore Highway on July 22.

Lotsy Jose (centre) and her children Catelyn and Chris were tragically killed in a car accident near Millmerran last month.

Secretary of the Toowoomba Malayali Association Benny Mathew said even though the Bipin family were not members of the local south Indian group, the tragedy was still felt within the community.

“We wanted to create a place to pay respect to Lotsy, Chris and Catelyn and create somewhere Bipin (the father) and three-year-old Caiden can come one day and remember their family members,” he said.

“We could not go to Brisbane for the funeral or burial services so the Millmerran Catholic Parish and the Toowoomba Malayali community chose to gather where the accident occurred and place white crosses and flowers.”

Both the Millmerran Catholic Parish and the Toowoomba Malayali Association gathered just outside of Millmerran on Tuesday, August 10 for a memorial service for Lotsy Jose and her two children Chris and Catelyn who sadly passed away in a tragic car accident last month.

Mrs Bipin had moved to Australia over a year ago and had only just secured a job as a nurse at the Brisbane Children’s Hospital, and Mr Bipin and the children had just joined her in the country four months ago, ready to start their new chapter together as a family.

Mr Bipin’s cousin, Martin Mathew arranged a GoFundMe campaign to help support the widow and his young son through rehabilitation and counselling.

They were able to raise nearly $500,000 in just three days.

“We are completely overwhelmed by how much support the campaign received and decided to turn off donations after we received more money than we ever expected to raise,” Mr Mathew said.

“We have not yet decided what the $487,050 dollars will go towards specifically as Mr Bipin has not decided where in Australia he wishes to reside but the funds will go a long way in making sure he and his son are taken care of.”

Both the Millmerran Catholic Parish and the Toowoomba Malayali Association gathered just outside of Millmerran on Tuesday, August 10 for a memorial service for Lotsy Jose and her two children Chris and Catelyn who sadly passed away in a tragic car accident last month.

Mr Mathew said both Mr and Mrs Bipin have elderly parents in India who are sick and require support, with the family relocating to Australia in order to be able to support them.

“Mr Bipin’s injuries were fortunately not too severe but he still cannot walk so we are hoping this funding can be used to give him the best emotional and physical rehabilitation to get him back on his feet again,” he said.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported our family in this difficult time, my cousin is overwhelmed by the support and love he has received from people across the world who don’t even know his family, but can sympathise with his and Caiden’s great loss in the difficult time.”