Aileen Wilkinson: Shock as young nurse dies following a ‘medical episode’ just one month after giving birth to a baby girl
Loved ones are supporting a young father after his 32-year-old wife tragically passed away just a month after the birth of their newborn daughter.
Aileen Wilkinson, who worked as a nurse at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, died on Wednesday after a fatal “medical episode”.
Friday night there was a GoFundMe raised more than $75,000 for the Irish-born nurse.
“As you may be aware, through an unexpected and tragic event we have suddenly lost the beautiful Aileen,” wrote organiser Kieran Joyce.
‘Aileen leaves behind her wonderful partner Marco and beautiful daughter Rosa, whom she gave birth to on July 23, 2024.
‘During this difficult time we are setting up this GoFundMe to help with the immediate costs we face to get Aileen back to Ireland and to make arrangements for Rosa’s future.’
In a separate fundraising effort, the family of the dedicated nurse and new mother described her sudden death as an “unimaginable loss.”
32-year-old Melbourne nurse Aileen Wilkinson died suddenly just a month after becoming a mother
“She was not only a dear friend to many, but also Marco’s beloved partner and the loving mother of Rosa, their beautiful one-month-old baby,” they said.
“This tragic event has left us and their families in deep sorrow.”
Some chose to share memories of Mrs. Wilkinson through the GoFundMe campaign.
“Aileen was a true light in the world,” wrote friend Michael Browne. “Every room she walked into she made it better.”
‘She was a big joker sometimes, and that made her even more endearing. I’m glad I got to call her friend, and thankful that she once dressed me up as a drag queen.
“I hope Rosa inherits everything that made Aileen so wonderful! RIP”
Former nursing colleague Regina Crudge wrote that she was “deeply saddened to hear of Aileen’s passing.”
“I always think of her as the sweet Aileen, for that is what she was in every way. My deepest condolences to her partner, her family and her friends on their terrible loss,” she wrote.
Local news website sassproject wrote that ‘the community of North Melbourne is in mourning following the sudden and tragic passing of Aileen Wilkinson, who passed away unexpectedly on August 21, 2024’.
‘Aileen, 32, is survived by her partner Marco Lecci and their one-month-old daughter Rosa, who now faces a future without her mother,’ the site said.
A friend of Mrs Wilkinson said that ‘every room she walked into made her instantly better’
Ms Wilkinson completed her master’s degree in advanced nursing at the University of Melbourne and last year won the university’s Catherine Wotton Ovarian Cancer Scholarship, which supports the work of gynaecology nurses.
“The Catherine Wotton Scholarship has given me the opportunity to improve patient care. I am incredibly grateful for this scholarship and the chance to make a difference in nursing,” she said at the time.
‘I am extremely grateful to Catherine Wotton’s family and friends for their contributions to helping nurses continue their education. I feel incredibly honoured to be the tenth recipient of this scholarship.’