A MEMORIAL service for a “beloved wife, daughter, sister, mum, favourite mother-in-law, grandma, and friend”, Heather Wilkinson of Korumburra will be held at the Korumburra Indoor Recreation Centre on Wednesday, October 4 commencing at 11am.
The notice of the service, follows a community gathering for Heather’s sister Gail Patterson and brother-in-law Don Patterson at the recreation centre on Thursday, August 31.
At the same time as notification of the service was given, an appeal was launched on the mycause appeal website for donations, in lieu of flowers, to be offered to the Austin Hospital or through SIM Australia to the Galmi Hospital in Niger, West Africa, a cause that was close to Heather's heart.
“We wish to acknowledge the exceptional care and kindness shown to Heather and our family by all hospital staff, from the transport team to the ICU teams. Their dedication and expertise were unparalleled, and we are profoundly grateful,” the family of the late Mrs Wilkinson said on the mycause site.
“We are thankful for the remarkable healthcare available in Australia and are mindful of the many around the world in need of basic healthcare services.
“In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask for your consideration in making a gift to support two very worthy causes:
* The Austin Hospital, who provided outstanding care for Heather in her final days. Gifts help to support care for patients and families; research projects and clinical trials; lifesaving transplants and surgeries; and training and scholarships for future healthcare leaders.
* Galmi Hospital is located in Niger, West Africa, listed as the seventh poorest country in the world where it provides compassionate and high quality medical care. The Galmi Hospital Benevolent Fund financially assists patients who are unable to pay hospital fees due to poverty or other social factors.
The service to ‘Celebrate the Life of Mrs Heather Alison Wilkinson’ will be held five weeks after a memorial service for Don and Gail Patterson in the same venue, all three victims of poisoning, reportedly by death cap mushrooms, at a family lunch in Leongatha on Saturday, July 29, 2023.
Another of the victims of the poisonous lunch, Ian Wilkinson, recovered enough last week to be released from hospital and has come home to continue his recovery.
Organisers say Heather’s memorial will be coordinated slightly differently to Don and Gail’s, and arrangements will be notified as soon as they are finalised.
In the meantime, those wishing to make a meaningful donation in Heather’s memory are invited to go to the mycause website at https://www.mycause.com.au/p/323090/in-memory-of-heather-wilkinson or search mycause Heather Wilkinson.
Envelopes will also be available at the service.
