The Brandan Trueman Appeal

In July 2024, the lives of then 16 year old Brandan and his family were turned upside down when Brandan was diagnosed with High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Within hours of presenting to the Cairns Base Hospital unwell, he was flown at 2 a.m. from Cairns to Brisbane, without even a chance to go home or say goodbye to his friends. It was the first time he had ever been separated from his twin sister Montana, and the pain of that sudden disconnection was profound.

Brandan’s parents, Kylie and Scott will never forget the moment Brandan looked at them with his big, tear-filled eyes and said, “I don’t want to die.” As parents, it was the most heart-wrenching, helpless feeling they had ever experienced—a memory that will stay with Kylie and Scott forever.

The impact on the Trueman family is beyond anything they could have imagined. They went from having two full-time incomes and twins self-supporting with part-time jobs, to being separated by a 20-hour drive, Kylie having to quit her job, their savings depleted, and financial hardship setting in within weeks. The rising cost of living compounded the stress as they struggled to support Brandan’s treatment in Brisbane, around 2000km from home.

The journey ahead remains long, with Brandan’s treatment continuing until November 2026. On that basis, the Trueman’s have made the decision to relocate closer to Brandan’s care to be together as a family.

On top of their mounting expenses on a single income, the Truemans are now faced with the added expense of relocating from Cairns to Brisbane.

Especially with Christmas fast approaching, we hope that our community can dig deep to help Brandan and his family with their rising expenses.

This Appeal is registered with the Office of Fair Trading pursuant to the Collections Act 1966.