Tragedy for Gia Active founder Justine Ramsay as beloved sister dies aged 17
Justine Ramsay, a professional athlete and co-founder of Gia Active, revealed her sister, Giaan Ramsay, has passed away, describing her as 'too kind and too sensitive for this world'.
In an emotional post on Instagram, the 27-year-old entrepreneur and runner from the Gold Coast Queensland, described the pain of losing Giaan, who inspired the brand's name and its mission to champion mental health.
'My beautiful angel sister, I can't even believe I'm sitting here writing this, it still doesn't feel real that you are gone,' Justine wrote.
'Anyone who knows me knows my sister Giaan was my whole entire world.
'She was my light and my soul ... we understood each other on a level no one else will understand.'
Let down by health system
While the exact circumstances surrounding Giaan's death have not been made public, Justine shared her belief her sister had been let down by the health system.
'She was failed by the medical system, and I will never stop fighting for her,' she wrote.
'They never allowed her to have a voice, so I will be her voice.
'I owe it to her to make sure no one else feels the same, because they failed my girl, and now I have to try to live without her.'
Describing Giaan as 'loving, thoughtful and the funniest person I've ever met, selfless even in her darkest hours', Justine's tribute paints the picture of a young woman full of heart, humour, and creativity.
'She would make my belly laugh every day.
'She was so beautiful, we used to say she looked like a doll, because she was just perfect. In every way.'
Giaan passed away at just 17 years old.
The family is now raising funds through a GoFundMe campaign to reunite relatives from South Africa and cover funeral costs.
The campaign, launched on July 30, has raised nearly $35,000 in a matter of days, with support pouring in from across the country.
'We love you, our beautiful Giaan,' Justine wrote on the page.
'You were an angel too kind for this world.'
Born from heartbreak, driven by purpose
In a recent behind-the-scenes video posted by Gia Active, Justine shared the deeply personal story behind the brand.
She revealed she had been a runner since the age of six, living in activewear and dreaming of creating her own pieces, but a severe injury two years ago forced her out of sport for over a year and a half, leaving her feeling isolated.
'I just like lost who I was because all I've ever known is running,' she wrote.
Gia Active became her way of turning pain into purpose.
'Gia is actually named after one of my beautiful sisters — Giaan,' she shared.
'She's a true warrior and someone who embodies perseverance and resilience like I've never witnessed before.'
'I want Gia Active to not only reflect my passion for sport and activewear, but to honour my sister and anyone else who has faced mental health battles.'
The brand recently announced 5 per cent of proceeds from its latest restock will be donated to the Black Dog Institute, a leading organisation supporting mental health research and education.
'Forever 17'
Justine ended her tribute with a heart-shattering farewell reflecting both her unimaginable grief and her fierce determination to keep Giaan's memory alive.
'Everything I do and everything I am is because of her.
'She taught me strength, resilience, courage — and what's truly important in life.
'Forever 17. Rest in peace, my sweet girl.'
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a day ago
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Tragedy for Gia Active founder Justine Ramsay as beloved sister dies aged 17
The heartbroken founder of one of Australia's rising activewear brands has shared the devastating news of her younger sister's death, paying tribute to the 17-year-old she calls her 'soulmate' and 'warrior'. Justine Ramsay, a professional athlete and co-founder of Gia Active, revealed her sister, Giaan Ramsay, has passed away, describing her as 'too kind and too sensitive for this world'. In an emotional post on Instagram, the 27-year-old entrepreneur and runner from the Gold Coast Queensland, described the pain of losing Giaan, who inspired the brand's name and its mission to champion mental health. 'My beautiful angel sister, I can't even believe I'm sitting here writing this, it still doesn't feel real that you are gone,' Justine wrote. 'Anyone who knows me knows my sister Giaan was my whole entire world. 'She was my light and my soul ... we understood each other on a level no one else will understand.' Let down by health system While the exact circumstances surrounding Giaan's death have not been made public, Justine shared her belief her sister had been let down by the health system. 'She was failed by the medical system, and I will never stop fighting for her,' she wrote. 'They never allowed her to have a voice, so I will be her voice. 'I owe it to her to make sure no one else feels the same, because they failed my girl, and now I have to try to live without her.' Describing Giaan as 'loving, thoughtful and the funniest person I've ever met, selfless even in her darkest hours', Justine's tribute paints the picture of a young woman full of heart, humour, and creativity. 'She would make my belly laugh every day. 'She was so beautiful, we used to say she looked like a doll, because she was just perfect. In every way.' Giaan passed away at just 17 years old. The family is now raising funds through a GoFundMe campaign to reunite relatives from South Africa and cover funeral costs. The campaign, launched on July 30, has raised nearly $35,000 in a matter of days, with support pouring in from across the country. 'We love you, our beautiful Giaan,' Justine wrote on the page. 'You were an angel too kind for this world.' Born from heartbreak, driven by purpose In a recent behind-the-scenes video posted by Gia Active, Justine shared the deeply personal story behind the brand. She revealed she had been a runner since the age of six, living in activewear and dreaming of creating her own pieces, but a severe injury two years ago forced her out of sport for over a year and a half, leaving her feeling isolated. 'I just like lost who I was because all I've ever known is running,' she wrote. Gia Active became her way of turning pain into purpose. 'Gia is actually named after one of my beautiful sisters — Giaan,' she shared. 'She's a true warrior and someone who embodies perseverance and resilience like I've never witnessed before.' 'I want Gia Active to not only reflect my passion for sport and activewear, but to honour my sister and anyone else who has faced mental health battles.' The brand recently announced 5 per cent of proceeds from its latest restock will be donated to the Black Dog Institute, a leading organisation supporting mental health research and education. 'Forever 17' Justine ended her tribute with a heart-shattering farewell reflecting both her unimaginable grief and her fierce determination to keep Giaan's memory alive. 'Everything I do and everything I am is because of her. 'She taught me strength, resilience, courage — and what's truly important in life. 'Forever 17. Rest in peace, my sweet girl.'
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"It's hard to watch her struggle and know that we can't help her," Ms Jackson said. Louella moves around the family's current Cameron Park rental on a kids' toy scooter as her wheelchair can't fit inside the house. "She uses one leg like a propeller, and another one like a rudder," Ms Jackson said. Her body was showing signs of nerve damage, structural bone failure, and pressure-related injuries, Ms Jackson said. When Louella was just six months old, her family was putting on her zip-up onesie when they noticed one leg was a little bit longer. "We originally thought it was a hip misalignment, and about one year in, we realised there was something much bigger going on," Ms Jackson said. Louella's stepfather, Mr Hearne, said no medical professionals knew her life expectancy, but at one stage they were told she would not live past five. "I think hearing the words 'your daughter is disabled' when she was seven months old, was a really hard thing for me," Ms Jackson said. After years of extensive genetic and blood testing, genetists at Westmead Children's Hospital believe she has a form of pseudohypophosphatasia. This condition means her symptoms manifest like hypophosphatasia, where too much phosphate builds up in a person's bones. This affects how her bones grow, develop and mineralise, leading to severe skeletal changes. For Louella, just moving around her home can be difficult. Ms Jackson said her daughter can't get on chairs, turn on taps, get on and off the toilet, or in and out of bed herself. "She does a great winged eyeliner, though," she said. Due to the way her bones were bending, her lungs were becoming restricted as well, which compromised her immune system. "When she gets sick, she gets really sick, so keeping her off the ground is important," Ms Jackson said. The family had been renting a place for four years and had approval from the owners to make $8000 in NDIS-approved accessible modifications. But the house was put on the market, and they had to move out within four weeks. While the new rental place is all one floor, they do not have approval to make modifications and Louella's wheelchair can't get through the front door. "We need an entry ramp, widened entry doorway, accessible paddle taps, a fixed toilet seat, and a shower chair with a detachable showerhead," Ms Jackson said. She said they would have to wait another 12 months to reapply for NDIS funding for housing modifications. "She can't use that little scooter for another six months, and we don't have another solution." The couple said a portion of donated funds could go towards a deposit on a property where they could make permanent modifications or to supplement home modifications, as the NDIS would not cover everything they needed. "Because of the changing dynamic of her disability, we don't know what she is going to need in the next year, and the NDIS needs to know that," Ms Jackson said. With three dependents, Louella, her brother Leo, 4, and her sister Harriet, 10, getting a deposit for a new home was "impossible", Ms Jackson said. Last month, the Newcastle Herald reported that NDIS participants are being put at risk with lengthy delays and questionable decisions endangering the lives of those left without funded support and nowhere to go. Mr Hearne said they decided to look for accessible solutions because at 20-something kilograms, Louella was getting too heavy to carry every 10 minutes. "She wants her independence, but you just can't give it to her," he said. Ms Jackson said she was a gritty, tough and emotionally intelligent little girl. "The goal is just to make life in a wheelchair as comfortable as possible," she said. Louella Jackson sits at her kitchen counter, carefully colouring in the lines of her newest picture. Like any other eight-year-old girl, she loves make-up, to draw, and sleepovers. But unlike her peers, she has an extremely rare condition that means her bones don't work like they are supposed to. "Chemically, genetically and physically, there's nobody like her in the world," Louella's mother, Brooke Jackson, said. Ms Jackson and Louella's stepfather, David Hearne, have started a GoFundMe to support her care, accessibility and housing needs as her condition worsens. "It's hard to watch her struggle and know that we can't help her," Ms Jackson said. Louella moves around the family's current Cameron Park rental on a kids' toy scooter as her wheelchair can't fit inside the house. "She uses one leg like a propeller, and another one like a rudder," Ms Jackson said. Her body was showing signs of nerve damage, structural bone failure, and pressure-related injuries, Ms Jackson said. When Louella was just six months old, her family was putting on her zip-up onesie when they noticed one leg was a little bit longer. "We originally thought it was a hip misalignment, and about one year in, we realised there was something much bigger going on," Ms Jackson said. Louella's stepfather, Mr Hearne, said no medical professionals knew her life expectancy, but at one stage they were told she would not live past five. "I think hearing the words 'your daughter is disabled' when she was seven months old, was a really hard thing for me," Ms Jackson said. After years of extensive genetic and blood testing, genetists at Westmead Children's Hospital believe she has a form of pseudohypophosphatasia. This condition means her symptoms manifest like hypophosphatasia, where too much phosphate builds up in a person's bones. This affects how her bones grow, develop and mineralise, leading to severe skeletal changes. For Louella, just moving around her home can be difficult. Ms Jackson said her daughter can't get on chairs, turn on taps, get on and off the toilet, or in and out of bed herself. "She does a great winged eyeliner, though," she said. Due to the way her bones were bending, her lungs were becoming restricted as well, which compromised her immune system. "When she gets sick, she gets really sick, so keeping her off the ground is important," Ms Jackson said. The family had been renting a place for four years and had approval from the owners to make $8000 in NDIS-approved accessible modifications. But the house was put on the market, and they had to move out within four weeks. While the new rental place is all one floor, they do not have approval to make modifications and Louella's wheelchair can't get through the front door. "We need an entry ramp, widened entry doorway, accessible paddle taps, a fixed toilet seat, and a shower chair with a detachable showerhead," Ms Jackson said. She said they would have to wait another 12 months to reapply for NDIS funding for housing modifications. "She can't use that little scooter for another six months, and we don't have another solution." The couple said a portion of donated funds could go towards a deposit on a property where they could make permanent modifications or to supplement home modifications, as the NDIS would not cover everything they needed. "Because of the changing dynamic of her disability, we don't know what she is going to need in the next year, and the NDIS needs to know that," Ms Jackson said. With three dependents, Louella, her brother Leo, 4, and her sister Harriet, 10, getting a deposit for a new home was "impossible", Ms Jackson said. Last month, the Newcastle Herald reported that NDIS participants are being put at risk with lengthy delays and questionable decisions endangering the lives of those left without funded support and nowhere to go. Mr Hearne said they decided to look for accessible solutions because at 20-something kilograms, Louella was getting too heavy to carry every 10 minutes. "She wants her independence, but you just can't give it to her," he said. Ms Jackson said she was a gritty, tough and emotionally intelligent little girl. "The goal is just to make life in a wheelchair as comfortable as possible," she said. Louella Jackson sits at her kitchen counter, carefully colouring in the lines of her newest picture. Like any other eight-year-old girl, she loves make-up, to draw, and sleepovers. But unlike her peers, she has an extremely rare condition that means her bones don't work like they are supposed to. "Chemically, genetically and physically, there's nobody like her in the world," Louella's mother, Brooke Jackson, said. Ms Jackson and Louella's stepfather, David Hearne, have started a GoFundMe to support her care, accessibility and housing needs as her condition worsens. "It's hard to watch her struggle and know that we can't help her," Ms Jackson said. Louella moves around the family's current Cameron Park rental on a kids' toy scooter as her wheelchair can't fit inside the house. "She uses one leg like a propeller, and another one like a rudder," Ms Jackson said. Her body was showing signs of nerve damage, structural bone failure, and pressure-related injuries, Ms Jackson said. When Louella was just six months old, her family was putting on her zip-up onesie when they noticed one leg was a little bit longer. "We originally thought it was a hip misalignment, and about one year in, we realised there was something much bigger going on," Ms Jackson said. Louella's stepfather, Mr Hearne, said no medical professionals knew her life expectancy, but at one stage they were told she would not live past five. "I think hearing the words 'your daughter is disabled' when she was seven months old, was a really hard thing for me," Ms Jackson said. After years of extensive genetic and blood testing, genetists at Westmead Children's Hospital believe she has a form of pseudohypophosphatasia. This condition means her symptoms manifest like hypophosphatasia, where too much phosphate builds up in a person's bones. This affects how her bones grow, develop and mineralise, leading to severe skeletal changes. For Louella, just moving around her home can be difficult. Ms Jackson said her daughter can't get on chairs, turn on taps, get on and off the toilet, or in and out of bed herself. "She does a great winged eyeliner, though," she said. Due to the way her bones were bending, her lungs were becoming restricted as well, which compromised her immune system. "When she gets sick, she gets really sick, so keeping her off the ground is important," Ms Jackson said. The family had been renting a place for four years and had approval from the owners to make $8000 in NDIS-approved accessible modifications. But the house was put on the market, and they had to move out within four weeks. While the new rental place is all one floor, they do not have approval to make modifications and Louella's wheelchair can't get through the front door. "We need an entry ramp, widened entry doorway, accessible paddle taps, a fixed toilet seat, and a shower chair with a detachable showerhead," Ms Jackson said. She said they would have to wait another 12 months to reapply for NDIS funding for housing modifications. "She can't use that little scooter for another six months, and we don't have another solution." The couple said a portion of donated funds could go towards a deposit on a property where they could make permanent modifications or to supplement home modifications, as the NDIS would not cover everything they needed. "Because of the changing dynamic of her disability, we don't know what she is going to need in the next year, and the NDIS needs to know that," Ms Jackson said. With three dependents, Louella, her brother Leo, 4, and her sister Harriet, 10, getting a deposit for a new home was "impossible", Ms Jackson said. Last month, the Newcastle Herald reported that NDIS participants are being put at risk with lengthy delays and questionable decisions endangering the lives of those left without funded support and nowhere to go. Mr Hearne said they decided to look for accessible solutions because at 20-something kilograms, Louella was getting too heavy to carry every 10 minutes. "She wants her independence, but you just can't give it to her," he said. Ms Jackson said she was a gritty, tough and emotionally intelligent little girl. "The goal is just to make life in a wheelchair as comfortable as possible," she said.
