WHEN Launceston's King family lost their 10-year-old son Noah last year, it touched the hearts of many.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now, as the family deals with a new tragedy, those people and many more from around the world are reaching out to the Kings with their support.
The family, mother Lisa, father Aaron and brothers Jalen, 12, Harri, 7 and Kobe, 3, were on a seaside holiday on Australia Day when Mr King suffered a massive heart attack and died.
The death of the popular Kings Meadows teacher sent the family, their friends and supporters into a tailspin.
Nearly 800 people attended Mr King's funeral on Tuesday.
``The amount of people there was a testament to not just what sort of person Aaron was, but the family that they are,'' Mrs King's friend Simone Triffitt said yesterday.
The Kings' son Noah was born with a rare brain condition, hydranencephaly, and he had not been expected to live past four.
Many people followed the story of his short life.
The latest outpouring of support for the family has become international.
A fund-raising website set up on the family's behalf has already received more than $24,000 in donations from around the world.
Mrs King is an avid blogger, regularly sharing her experiences online with followers.
Naomi Ellis, a fellow blogger and friend from Brisbane, read what had happened and was left feeling that she had to do something.
``I was so touched by the experience she (Mrs King) had had and I thought, `I have a blog and I already have an online community on my site if I just set up a fund-raising page surely I would be able to get some donations,' '' Mrs Ellis said.
Mrs Ellis started with a target of $10,000, thinking it would take at least four weeks to reach.
She said that she believed the generosity of people and the success of the site came from the candid way in which Mrs King told her story in her blog.
``She has great faith and remains so positive, I think people love it because she is so inspiring,'' Mrs Ellis said.
Those interested in finding out more should go to www.sevencherubs.com/2012/01/king-family-donations.html.