Hobart community raises thousands for young family battling cancer diagnoses

A Hobart family battling two heartbreaking diagnoses said they are ‘staggered’ by the community’s generosity after thousands railled together to raise much needed funds. THEIR STORY + HOW TO HELP >>

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A young Hobart family who is battling two heartbreaking diagnoses said they are staggered after waking up to hundreds and thousands dollars worth of donations.

As of Friday afternoon, over 1,200 people have raised $112,000 for the Rasmussens to help cover medical and living costs after parents of three, Kirsten and Pete, were both diagnosed with cancer.

In less than 12 months their world was turned upside down - just weeks after Kirsten underwent a double mastectomy, the family got the news that Pete has a brain tumour and has seven to 10 years left to live.

The 35-year-old father said he was overwhelmed with emotion after seeing the support from friends, family and strangers.

“Over the last 72 hours we’ve experienced every emotion under the sun,” said the young dad.

“There’s time when it fills us with happiness and we can look forward and know that we can be prepared for the future and other times there’s tears of sadness as it’s reminder that you’re not here forever,”

“Overall we are just staggered by the everyone’s generoisty.” said Mr Rasmussen.

Donations can be made to the Rasmussen family online on the gofundme website.

Heartbreaking double blow for young Hobart family

In the space of a year the lives of a well-known family in the Hobart school community have been turned upside down.

Mother of three Kirsten Rasmussen had just given birth to her third child — and first daughter — in August last year when she found out she had stage 2 breast cancer.

“She discovered a lump and she had to have a full mastectomy,” husband Pete told the Mercury, adding his wife had to have surgery for the removal of 10 tumours.

The Rasmussen family: Kirsten and Pete with Estelle (1), William (6) and Thomas (4).

Just two weeks following his wife’s last course of radiation, Mr Rasmussen was rushed to hospital after suffering multiple seizures and told the unthinkable — he had a stage 2 Astrocytoma cancerous brain tumour.

The doting dad has been told he has just seven to 10 years to live.

“I found myself in the Royal with lots of doctors looking at me asking me if I could see, if I was alright, if I had a headache,” he told the Mercury.

“The tumour was in such a position that it was inoperable and if it was to be operated on I could become deaf, unable to speak or may or may not be conscious.

“The doctor said I would be the definition of a living vegetable.”

The 35-year-old said he suffered depression and panic attacks as the family dealt with his wife’s illness, but it wasn’t until he experienced a series of seizures in June that he knew something was wrong.

“One of the worst ones was when I was in the car with my children and I had to quickly pull over to park when my vision started going swirly and I fell unconscious,” Mr Rasmussen said.

Pete and Kirsten Rasmussen and their children Will, 6, Tommy, 4 and Estelle, 1. Photo: Facebook/GoFundMe.

With both parents unable to work — Kirsten an early childhood educator at The Friends’ School and Pete a teacher at St Virgil’s College Junior School — family friends have set up a GoFundMe for the family as they face an uncertain number of weeks, months and years ahead of them.

“At the end of the day my wife is going to be left with three kids and a mortgage so every dollar really helps,” Mr Rasmussen said.

The fundraiser was created on Thursday morning and has already raised over $95,000 for the family — a gesture that has left the young dad astounded.

“I’m staggered with the amount of people that have their names on that list that I don’t even recognise,” he said.

“Kirsten’s already had her own fight and my hair is still longer than hers — support like this means the world, it gives me some comfort for when I do go.”

Although in remission and clear of cancer, Mrs Rasmussen still has more surgeries ahead while the couple look after their young children — Estelle, 1, Thomas, 4 and William, 6 who they recently had to hear the news their dad was about to undergo an unbeatable cancer journey.

“I’ve asked my brother if he can walk my daughter down the aisle,” Mr Rasmussen told the Mercury.

“We get so busy with our lives and rushing to work so when things get really really serious it’s nice to know you have support.”