As Canberra struggles to come to terms with a horrific tragedy, Sandra Brookfield remembers one of the happiest times in the life of Dreamworld victim Kate Goodchild.
When Ms Goodchild and her mother called their family friend Ms Brookfield to reveal Ms Goodchild was expecting, the three squealed with joy as it was decade since she last gave birth.
"They were so excited Ebony would have a little sibling," Ms Brookfield said.
"They [Kate and partner David Turner] had bought a home in Canberra in recent times in preparation for this baby."
On Tuesday, David held that baby, now eight-month-old Evie, as his wife fell victim to the accident on the Thunder River Rapids ride, along with Kate's brother Luke Dorsett, Luke's partner Roozi Araghi and Sydney woman, Cindy Low.
Twelve-year-old Ebony was also on the ride but miraculously survived.
Having been best friends with Ms Goodchild's mother, Kim Dorsett for 58 years, Ms Brookfield decided to set up a fundraising page in support of David and the two little girls left without a mother. The community rushed to rally behind the cause, donating almost $15,000 in the first 24 hours.
She said she would never forget the heartbreaking moment an inconsolable Ms Dorsett called her from a Gold Coast hotel room just minutes after discovering she had lost two children.
Ms Dorsett stayed at the hotel while the family went to the theme park because they made the fateful last-minute decision to go to Dreamworld instead of Movie World - and Ms Dorsett wanted to go to the latter.
"She was just distraught when she called me telling me they had died," she said.
"And still she is just cold, blank. She is wanting at the moment just to lock her doors and not be contacted."
Compounding her grief was frustration that Deborah Thomas, chief executive of Dreamworld's parent company Ardent Leisure, claimed in a media conference on Thursday that she had reached out to the family when she in fact had not contacted them.
Ms Brookfield said Ms Thomas had since called and apologised for the comments.
"Kim is in such a state that she actually said she has no bad feelings because she's not feeling," she said.
"She's empty to have lost two children and then to have people say she had done this and done that when no one had contacted her, she is just numb."
The Canberra family travelled to the Gold Coast for a family member's wedding they attended three days before the accident.
Just last week, Luke and Kate took Ms Dorsett - who works for the ACT Education Department - shopping for a wedding outfit.
She said Ms Dorsett and her children were now back in Canberra and were waiting for the bodies to be returned in the coming days.
On Thursday, Ms Dorsett told Fairfax Media she was not interested in whether Dreamworld would re-open, as the embattled company cancelled its planned memorial day on Friday
"I'm trying to deal with a lot of other things," she said. "I've lost my family, my life."
Ms Brookfield was overwhelmed with the community's support for her fundraising page and hoped to give the money to the family by next week.
"They are a struggling family, with costs that they will need to pay today and next week and in the near future."
"Any financial stress we can relieve will help, especially since the counselling Ebony will need is just horrendous. She's really not doing well."
The Canberra community has also rallied behind the victims by leaving flowers at their homes and paying tributes on social media.
Mr Dorsett and Kate Goodchild both worked at the Department of Human Services while Mr Araghi was a much-loved member of the communications team at the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
On Thursday, Mr Araghi's brother Simon paid tribute to his "beautiful baby brother," saying he was an amazing uncle to his teenage son and was loved by all.
The Dorsett family fundraiser can be found at mycause.com.au/dreamworld
