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Double blow to flood-ravaged family as mother of four dies suddenly while battling insurance company to rebuild their ruined home as they shuffled between motels every two weeks
- Young family displaced after their home flooded three times in a year
- The property in Windsor, in Sydney’s northwest, has been affected by mold and is in need of repair
- Dave and wife Naomi were engaged in a battle to claim insurance
- Tragedy struck again when Naomi died of a blocked artery amid the stress
- Dave and his kids are tired of staying in motels and want to go home to grieve
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A young family thought their happiness couldn’t get any worse after floods destroyed their home in Sydney’s northwest three times in 12 months.
But between moving from motel to motel and fighting with their insurer to fix their mold-infested property so they could return, they took the biggest blow of all.
Amid the stress of the ordeal, wife and mother of four Naomi, 41, died suddenly after suffering a blood clot in an artery while cleaning up at their home in Windsor.
The Young family (pictured) were left displaced after their home in Sydney’s northwest was flooded in March. Amid the stress, they also lost their mother and wife Naomi (center, back row) to a blood clot
“It just destroyed our lives,” her husband Dave Young told A Current Affair.
“For me I would just roll with the punches but for her she put on a brave face but it just killed her. It was eating her. She died in my arms.’
Dave, Naomi and their children Emily, Tayla, Molly and Ayden were forced to leave their home and seek temporary shelter after their property flooded in March.
They’ve been traveling back and forth between motels every two weeks for the past seven months, waiting for their insurance.
Not only have their lives been turned upside down, basic daily tasks, such as cooking, are difficult as they struggle to adapt to life with limited devices.
Although the instability was tough on the entire family, the children said their mother suffered the most as she fought with their insurer to transfer repairs, while desperately trying to maintain a sense of normality for the household.
Friends and family believe the stress of the situation has taken its toll on her health.
‘Most days she was’ [on the phone] trying to get hold of them for hours and hours on end, but they would keep her on watch all day,” the children said.
‘[When she died] it was like a really bad dream and I wanted to wake up.’
Dave said the loss of his wife and their struggle to return home ‘destroyed the life of the family’
Dave said the family waited five months before receiving the bill from the insurance company for the March flood – but the damage only got worse when the area was flooded again in July when the Hawkesbury River overflowed.
While they feel lucky to have salvaged some of their belongings, the property is still in dire need of new floors, kitchen work, furniture and appliances to replace the lost items.
Dave, who pays $7,000 a year to insure his home, said insurance companies make millions of dollars and he doesn’t understand why it took so long to get their much-needed payout.
Friends gathered around the family and launched a GoFundMe to help the Youngs with funeral and essential expenses.
Their house (pictured) has been destroyed after it was flooded twice from March to July this year
The family desperately wants to go home, where they can cope with the loss of their beloved mother and wife.
‘It would mean everything’ [to be able to go home]said Emily. “It means we can grieve well. It’s tough here, but the best place would be to be at home.’
In response to questions from A Current Affair, the insurance company agreed to pay for the home repairs and waived the family’s deductible.
The company has also extended the temporary housing of the Youngs for an additional six months.
Daily Mail Australia contacted the insurance company for comment.