After more than a decade battling brain cancer and fighting to improve the health care system, Kelli O’Brien died at home on Friday night, surrounded by her family.
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The Ulladulla resident and mother of two has touched many over the years.
Kelli became a test case for the NSW health system.
As a woman in her mid-40s, she was too old for youth cancer care, but too young to be placed in the depressing environment of a nursing home, so she and her family fought to change the rules.
Eventually, Social Services Minister Dan Tehan helped the family secure funding through the National Disability Insurance Scheme so they could care for Kelli at her home in Ulladulla.
Sister Leigh O’Brien told Fairfax Media all Kelli wanted was to be with her family at the end.
“All of us were there, she waited for everyone to get there,” she said.
“Everyone surrounded her, we all held her hand.
“It was a nice way for her to go.”
They hope their battle in recent years might help other families in the same situation in the future.
Kelli is survived by her two children Ryan, 18, and Meg, 16, who have been with her through every operation over the years.
Leigh said they were devastated, but coping well.
“They’ve been there the whole way with her, right by her side,” she said.
“When Kelli was first diagnosed, they gave her three months to live and she just said ‘bullshit’. She wanted to be here to see her kids grow up and she got that wish.”
It was that strength and determination for which Kelli will be most fondly remembered.
“She’s been through a whole lot and you never heard her complain, she just toughed it out and never gave up,” Leigh said.
“She was always a shining light everywhere she went and made everybody around her happy.
“She just used to light up a room and I think she had that nature, even to strangers.”
The sisters won an Ovens and Murray netball premiership together with Lavington, and even after her brain cancer diagnosis, Kelli went on to be involved in the Ulladulla Dockers women’s football team, was a member of the surf club and got her personal training certificate.
“She was just courageous and determined and tenacious. She had a bit of mongrel about her,” Leigh said.
“She never let anything stand in her way.”
The family is planning to farewell Kelli at a funeral at Mollymook Surf Club on Friday.
