A fundraiser for a Launceston nurse killed in a head-on crash on the West Tamar Highway has raised more than $200,000 in just a couple of days.
The outpouring of support for Elaine Gee’s family has included single donations of $5,000 and $4,000.
Tributes have flooded in for the much-loved nurse.
“My condolences to the husband and sons. It is fantastic that the Tasmanian community is wrapping their arms around the family, just as the mother cared for others on the front line,” one person wrote.
“Such a beautiful and caring Nurse. My heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. This is such a sad day,” another said.
One commenter noted the speed of the fundraiser’s growth.
“This shows the power of this little island when united,” they wrote.
The 39-year-old Winkleigh woman died in hospital after spending two days fighting for her life following the crash on Friday afternoon.
She was the sole occupant of a blue Nissan Navara travelling north at Legana when a man driving a blue Skoda collided with her vehicle shortly before 4:40pm.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police believe he was responsible for a serious stabbing at a home on Main Road in Exeter shortly before the crash.
Initial investigations indicate the injuries were inflicted by a man known to the victim.
The stabbing victim remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Fundraiser organiser Lisa Gibson said Elaine had worked as a nurse at Launceston General Hospital for 20 years, beginning as a surgical nurse before moving into patient flow management.
For the past year she had worked as a project nurse focused on improving patient flow at rural facilities.
“She has left behind a legacy of genuine care and relentless advocacy and our community is forever better for her commitment to people in need,” Gibson wrote.
Gibson described Elaine and her husband Rodney as high school sweethearts who had been together since they were 15.
“What was supposed to be Elaine’s 40th birthday will now be her funeral,” she wrote.
Elaine is survived by Rodney, their two sons aged six and 10, her mother Sue and brother Andy.
The fundraiser aims to help cover funeral costs and support the family while Rodney, now the sole income earner, takes time away from work.
