Jun, 2025
Every Step for Wayne: Why Jackie Is Running the Gold Coast Marathon for Her Husband – and Raising Vital Funds for Every Family Who’s Faced the Unthinkable
Life can change in an instant.
For Jackie and her children, a dream holiday became their worst nightmare.
While exploring Italy, a trip meant to create cherished memories, they faced the unthinkable. Wayne, Jackie’s devoted husband and the incredibly kind, caring father their children adored, died unexpectedly. It was the day before his 43rd birthday.
Wayne was the kind of man who lived with his heart wide open. He was full of joy, warmth and generosity, a dad who never missed a moment to say, “I love you,” and a husband who made life feel safe, fun, and full. His family feels lucky every day to have been loved by him and to have shared his world, even if their time together was far too short.
Wayne was full of joy, warmth and generosity.
Jackie fought hard to save Wayne’s life, navigating a foreign healthcare system and doing everything she could. Unfortunately, in a crowded waiting room Jackie had to do the unimaginable, tell their children their dad wasn’t coming home. In that heartbreaking moment, their world shifted forever.
Over the past 11-months they have tried to navigate the loss of Wayne and move forward as best they can. Now to celebrate Wayne’s joy for life and love of running, Jackie and her family are honouring him in the most heartfelt way they know how: by running the Gold Coast Marathon and raising vital funds for Gold Coast Hospital Foundation.
“This could happen to anyone,” Jackie says. “You can be the healthiest, happiest person, and life can still change in an instant. When I saw I could run the Gold Coast Marathon and fundraise for the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, I knew I had to do it. For Wayne, and for other families experiencing something like this.”
Back in 2019, Jackie and Wayne flew in from Indonesia to take part in the Gold Coast Marathon together. Jackie in the half, Wayne in the full. It was more than a race; it was Wayne’s birthday weekend, a celebration of their shared love for running and a family trip filled with laughter and joy.
Neither of them knew it would be the last time they’d run side by side in a marathon.
Wayne and Jackie loved running together. Even after a tiring 42km, Wayne had a smile for his family at the Gold Coast Marathon finish line.
This year, nearly five years later, Jackie will take on her first full marathon – 42 kilometres for 42 years of Wayne’s life. By her side will be 20 loved ones, including family and friends flying in from across the world, all running to honour a man who lived every day to the fullest.
There was no warning and no chance to prepare when Wayne collapsed and died from a sudden brain haemorrhage. Jackie knows all too well how fragile life is and how terrifying it is to be far from home in a medical emergency.
That’s why she and her team are raising funds to support services provided by the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, like the Emergency Accommodation Service. This vital program offers families a safe place to stay when a loved one is rushed to critical care, far from home.
“When Wayne collapsed in Italy, we were meant to be checking out of our hotel that day. It was the busiest weekend of the year, and we were forced to leave. In moments like that, you shouldn’t have to worry about where you’ll sleep,” Jackie recalls. Thankfully, a kind hotel staff member helped her find a place to stay through a friend. That small act of support meant the world and reinforced just how crucial it is for families to have access to emergency accommodation when the unthinkable happens.
Funds raised will also support initiatives that improve the experience for families and patients—like the refurbishment of the ICU waiting room and the redesign of private family spaces. These quiet, comfortable rooms offer privacy when it’s needed most, places where families can sit together, grieve, and support each other during life’s most traumatic moments.
“When you’re in crisis, those small comforts mean everything. The privacy. The space to sit, cry, hold each other. It matters more than people realise.”
So far, Jackie’s team has raised over $25,000 for the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, and they’re only just getting started. Her hope is simple; to inspire others to donate, honour Wayne’s memory, and remind us all to find joy in the everyday, just like he always did.
“We really do need to live more like he did,” Jackie says. “He was just happy to be here.”
Training for a marathon has given Jackie something to focus on, a reason to get outside, to keep moving, to feel something other than grief. Through every kilometre, she channels Wayne’s spirit. She wishes more than anything he were running beside her. Instead, she is running for him, and for the families who need support when their world falls apart.
When you donate to Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, you’re not just supporting a runner like Jackie. You’re helping ensure that when crisis strikes, everyone in our community has access to the best possible health care, when it’s needed most.
Please, donate today. Your support could be the difference to the life of someone you know.
