Two little girls have been left devastated after the death of both their parents to cancer in the same week.
Nigel and Marjan Joyce, from Christchurch in New Zealand, leave behind their young daughters, aged just four and eight, after both being diagnosed with cancer within the last two years.
Nigel died on May 31 and Marjan passed away only six days later, their deaths leaving their two daughters orphaned.
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Family friend Angela Hawkins has set up a Give a Little fundraiser to assist the girls.
“Nigel was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and shortly after, Marjan was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer,” Angela wrote on the crowd funding page.
“It has been an unimaginably challenging period for them.”
Hawkins said the parents tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy for their girls despite the “unimaginable situation” in which they found themselves.
Nigel was given just two weeks to live after suffering a health crisis due to his cancer on Anzac Day, and placed in end-of-life care.
He died on May 31, with his sister by his side.
Marjan had been told her breast cancer had gone, Hawkins said.
But in a devastating turn of events, the mother had begun experiencing vision loss and seizures three weeks ago.
She was then told the cancer had spread through her brain.
Marjan was placed in palliative care and died on June 6 — just six days after her husband.
Hawkins said Marjan had been told about the fundraiser for the girls before she died, and she was “moved to tears”.
“She brought her head to her hands in disbelief and mentioned there are many others in need of support, but her tears of happiness shone through in this moment,” Hawkins said.
“She and Nigel will now shine bright together, one big, sparkly star.
“May their memory continue to bring comfort and inspiration to all who knew them.”