The call for help that changed everything

Joining the Australian Army in 1995 at the age of 19, veteran Jane* became used to packing up and relocating to a new house, city, state or territory. 

Across her service, she moved from Wagga Wagga to Brisbane, Townsville, Albury-Wodonga, Canberra, Darwin and Perth, before returning to Townsville.  

“I originally went in as a cook and, in five years, rose from Junior Private to Corporal to Sergeant,” she says. 

“Once I was in Townsville, I had my first overseas deployment where I was the only female in an all-male team – I was sort of the face of catering, you could say.” 

A change of pace 

After five years and completing a course in Melbourne, Jane moved into the role of physical trainer, again rising to Corporal. 

As a mum of two who was juggling the life of being a Defence spouse while also in service herself, the cracks began to show. 

“As a Defence family, my partner was away a lot, and I don’t know how I did it, but I was committed to finding time for the kids, no matter what,” she recalls. 

“It’s a familiar Defence story, but looking back now, it was a really hard journey." 

Life beyond the ranks 

After more than 20 years in the Army, life caught up with Jane and threw her some tough curve balls. 

"My body broke down, and as a physical trainer, my job did too. On top of that, my relationship broke down and I suddenly became a single mum,” she shares. 

When Jane discharged in 2020, she knew she had to look after herself and make some changes. 

“I was in pain, depressed and at rock bottom, but supporting myself and the kids was what mattered most – it was time to turn over a new leaf,” she says. 

This new chapter took her to the Gold Coast with her daughter to encourage her sporting endeavours while her eldest son remained in Townsville.  

Supporting her children was always Jane’s focus, but the foundations she had built after her transition soon began to crumble. 

“You can go from having support around you and taking care of the kids, to suddenly being worse off but still needing to support them, and it can really break you,” she notes. 

“I hit breaking point and was back to square one again, living on a dollar, thinking, ‘How will we get through this?’”  

“That’s when I reached out to RSL Queensland.” 

The wake-up call that answered 

Needing to leave the Gold Coast to protect her mental health – while managing her children’s father’s passing and funeral costs – Jane reluctantly asked for help. 

“The truth is that I didn’t want to reach out for help, but I had to. I originally called the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and they talked me into giving RSL Queensland a call,” she explains candidly.  

At the end of that call last year was Abbie, an RSL Queensland wellbeing practitioner. 

“In our role, we support veterans and current-serving Defence members and their families with financial assistance, housing and help them to navigate mental and physical health services and social supports,” Abbie explains. 

When she first spoke to Jane about financial assistance, Abbie was struck by her instinct to care for others first, despite the situation she was facing. 

“Jane’s focus was her family, and she would do anything to continue supporting them.”  

That first call was scary, and sharing her financial struggle felt vulnerable, but Jane is grateful she made it. 

“Abbie was so calm. I said, ‘Look, I'm in a really bad space now and don't know what to do,’ and she just set everything up,” Jane says. 

“On that initial phone call, we reviewed what I needed, went through my financials and the forms and she handled the rest.” 

After back-and-forth calls over two weeks, Jane’s urgent bills were paid. She relocated to the countryside and found safety in a new space, and her children were able to farewell their father with dignity. 

Before moving, Jane wanted to do one last thing – meet Abbie. 

“I said, ‘I’d love to come in, say thank you and have a chat,’ because it mattered to put a face to the name that helped me breathe again.” 

Abbie sees Jane’s story as one of resilience.  

“She showed dedication to her family and the strength to navigate the hard challenges she was facing,” Abbie says. 

“As wellbeing practitioners, our aim is for veterans and families – like Jane’s – to thrive and achieve their goals.” 

Finding light again 

These days, Jane is doing better. Country quiet has given her space to pause and heal both her mind and body.  

“The emergency financial support from RSL Queensland let my daughter and me move forward and begin processing the grief,” she acknowledges.  

“My daughter said, ‘I don’t know how we could have done it, mum.’”  

When reflecting on the support she received, one lesson stands out: asking for help can be the hardest step, but it’s okay. 

"We were struggling and I thought, ‘What now?’, but Abbie was right there to help me,” Jane says. 

“If you’re a veteran and you’re truly struggling financially; you don’t have to do it alone – reach out to RSL Queensland. They helped me at my most vulnerable and I couldn’t be more grateful.” 

For Abbie and RSL Queensland, their role is one of empathy. 

“We understand that everyone has a different story and we will work with you to tailor your support, drawing on your strengths and empowering you for the future,” Abbie notes.  

*Name changed for privacy reasons