Tasmanian community helps family after dad's sudden death

Australia Broadcast Center

25-05-2025

Cally Spangler had not expected things could get worse.
Her family had leaned on each other and their community in rural Bagdad in southern Tasmania after her 21-year-old brother Connor suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that left him in a coma for a month.
Then, while her brother was still in hospital, their 47-year-old father died suddenly in an accident.
Ms Spangler, 23, had to step into a co-caring role for her siblings, aged eight to 25, and face potentially complex legal and financial challenges because her father had died without a will.
"First off, when Connor was in the coma, Dad was in there every day for about three hours," the wool grader told ABC Hobart.
"It didn't matter whether he had the kids or he was at work five days a week.
"He'd go finish the day at work, go into the hospital, come home, [and] cook tea for the rest of the kids on repeat."
Her father, Shawn, had shared custody of five of the eight children after her parents separated five years earlier.
The three eldest had lived solely with their dad.
"[In six months, we've experienced] everything that you could possibly imagine in life: love, happiness, sadness, remorse."
The Bagdad community has rallied to support the family during Connor's months-long hospitalisation and ongoing rehabilitation, and since their dad's death.
A fundraiser run at Rhonda's on Midlands, formerly Bagdad Community Club, has raised more than $13,000.
Ms Spangler's employer, Adrian Lovell, a shearer, said the family had shown resilience in the face of hardship.
"It was a terribly sad story right from the start," Mr Lovell said.
"To be on the way up and see what they'd gone through with Connor, then to get a call just after Christmas about her father was, Jesus, I thought, 'How are they going to handle this?'"
Bagdad resident Michelle Visser, of Rhonda's on Midlands, said rural communities were adept at rallying when things were tough.
"We recently had a big fundraiser up here which started out really small, but the donations got that big that we had to make room in another area to put the donations,'' Ms Visser said.
Ms Spangler said she felt immense gratitude for the community's kindness.
"The support's been insane," she said.
"When Connor first was in a coma, everyone was bringing around the food then.
"And then when Dad passed away, we said, 'No, you can help us with lending us an ear, no food', because the freezer just got so full the first time."
While there had also been offers of household help, Ms Spangler said the rhythm of daily chores had provided a sense of purpose.
"We don't want our life to stop in any way," she said.
Beyond community support, Legal Aid Tasmania, some community legal centres and the Public Trustee can provide help in such situations.
Tasmania Legal Aid offers general advice and information including referrals through its Legal Help service and has a general civil lawyer available for more intensive casework.
But that lawyer is unable to assist with administration of an estate or estate planning.
"It's difficult because the services are quite fragmented," Legal Aid Tasmania director Kristen Wylie said.
"We are funded to provide some general civil assistance, but only one person covers the whole state so we are limited in what we can do.
"We will be able to give advice on navigating the system and make targeted referrals."
She said things were more complex if, as in Ms Spangler's case, the deceased person had not left a will.
She said it was called dying "intestate".
"In this case TLA would refer a young person to a private lawyer specialising in wills and estate work to help apply and administer the estate," Ms Wylie said.
"This would involve a fee for those services.
"Similarly, the Public Trustee can assist and also charge fees.
"If meeting those fees is an issue, we would try and assist the young person with a referral to a pro-bono lawyer through the schedule run by the Law Society of Tasmania."
Tasmania Public Trustee chief executive Todd Kennedy said the trustee could perform the role of administrator when someone died without a valid will, but it could be a "complicated process".
"This leaves behind a burden for grieving family members during what is already an emotional time.
"Also, without a valid will your assets may not be distributed in line with your wishes."
According to the Tasmanian Intestacy Act 2010, the surviving spouse will inherit the whole estate unless there are children from another relationship of the deceased.
Where there are, the surviving spouse is entitled to a statutory spousal legacy of $350,000.
"Making a will is easier than you think," Mr Kennedy said.
Ms Spangler said she was "overcome with emotion" by the community's financial gift.
"It was not what I was expecting at all," she said.
"You're going through these times, and you don't know anything for certain.
"It's just a feeling I've never felt before."