Marilyn's world 'fell apart' with one post. What happened next helped her heal

Marilyn, an 18-year-old Yolŋu woman, is finding strength and healing through an arduous mourning journey that began in her childhood. At just 12 years old, she experienced the devastating loss of her grandmother, followed by four aunts and her mother. This profound grief has shaped her life, leading her to attend more funerals than birthday parties, often in the front row as close family. The scale of loss is immense for someone so young, yet Marilyn refuses to be overwhelmed by its weight. She holds onto the stories of her mother, whom she lost at age five in their Darwin apartment. "I just wish I was old enough to actually get to know her personality," Marilyn shares, "But I can tell that she was a very beautiful person, a beautiful human, and I'm so glad that she brought me into this world." Marilyn remembers the day her mother died, calling Triple Zero and speaking English despite primarily speaking Yolŋu Mata. "I remember my mum on a stretcher going down the stairs, them holding her," she recalls, "That was the last time I ever saw her." The initial experience of loss was confusing, but as she lost more loved ones, the meaning of grief became clearer. Her mother's four older sisters stepped in, making a promise to care for her. "They made a promise to my mum that they would all have some sort of part to look after me, and that's what they all did," Marilyn says. "And I'm so glad that they all had such an impact on me before they all left." The passing of her nanna and pop soon after felt like another devastating blow. "It was like I just hit another rock," she says. Amidst this pain, unexpected joy emerged when one of her remaining aunts, facing illness, arranged for Marilyn to move to a foster family. The transition was initially confusing, but the promise of a McDonald's trip accompanied her move to her "new home."

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Wow, I really have to keep saying goodbye to all these people. It made me feel like 'what is my worth if all these people keep leaving my life?'