Lee + Sandra's marriage
Donation protected
Sandra Yates and Lee Bransden want to marry before it is too late.
Lee has a terminal illness and has been given just weeks to live. Because Australia doesn’t allow marriage equality the best option for them to legally marry is to travel to New Zealand. But Lee and Sandra are both on pensions and can’t afford the trip.
Friends and supporters of Lee and Sandra are seeking $6500 to cover the costs of Lee and Sandra’s wedding. Your donation will go towards flights, accommodation and costs associated with the marriage ceremony.
Lee and Sandra have been companions for 30 years, ever since Sandra volunteered to pick apples on an orchid Lee managed.
“Lee thought it was pretty cheeky of me to say I knew all about apples because I was from Tasmania”, Sandra recalls. “We got along really well from the moment we met.”
But Sandra was married with young children so she and Lee remained just good friends.
Lee and Sandra worked as nurses. Sometimes their work took them to different parts of Australia and to different countries, but still their connection stayed strong.
Lee was also involved in a wide range of social causes, including the rights of indigenous people, anti-Vietnam War protests and support groups for lesbian women in rural areas.
Lee and Sandra finally became a couple 8 years ago and have built a life together supporting each other and sharing all of life’s ups and downs.
Now Lee is terminally ill with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the pair want nothing more than to be legally married.
They say it will show the world their commitment to each other. In Sandra’s words it will also give Lee something to look forward to and live for: “it will just make her really, really happy.”
They have their hearts set on a wedding in Rotorua because of its close association with indigenous culture and because Lee worked in New Zealand for 15 years.
Unfortunately, last year Lee and Sandra lost most of their life savings when the builder they hired went bankrupt. Sandra has recently sold their campervan to pay for Lee’s funeral arrangements
If you donate now Lee and Sandra will still be able to legally marry despite the cost and despite the Australian Government’s opposition to marriage equality.
Lee has a terminal illness and has been given just weeks to live. Because Australia doesn’t allow marriage equality the best option for them to legally marry is to travel to New Zealand. But Lee and Sandra are both on pensions and can’t afford the trip.
Friends and supporters of Lee and Sandra are seeking $6500 to cover the costs of Lee and Sandra’s wedding. Your donation will go towards flights, accommodation and costs associated with the marriage ceremony.
Lee and Sandra have been companions for 30 years, ever since Sandra volunteered to pick apples on an orchid Lee managed.
“Lee thought it was pretty cheeky of me to say I knew all about apples because I was from Tasmania”, Sandra recalls. “We got along really well from the moment we met.”
But Sandra was married with young children so she and Lee remained just good friends.
Lee and Sandra worked as nurses. Sometimes their work took them to different parts of Australia and to different countries, but still their connection stayed strong.
Lee was also involved in a wide range of social causes, including the rights of indigenous people, anti-Vietnam War protests and support groups for lesbian women in rural areas.
Lee and Sandra finally became a couple 8 years ago and have built a life together supporting each other and sharing all of life’s ups and downs.
Now Lee is terminally ill with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the pair want nothing more than to be legally married.
They say it will show the world their commitment to each other. In Sandra’s words it will also give Lee something to look forward to and live for: “it will just make her really, really happy.”
They have their hearts set on a wedding in Rotorua because of its close association with indigenous culture and because Lee worked in New Zealand for 15 years.
Unfortunately, last year Lee and Sandra lost most of their life savings when the builder they hired went bankrupt. Sandra has recently sold their campervan to pay for Lee’s funeral arrangements
If you donate now Lee and Sandra will still be able to legally marry despite the cost and despite the Australian Government’s opposition to marriage equality.
Organizer
Rodney Croome
Organizer
Battery Point, TAS