But they are happy tears, despite a recent diagnosis of a rare brain tumour.

The 36-year-old mother of two young boys is so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and love after the tumour diagnosis was delivered last Friday, that she can barely hold in the tears.

But what is more overwhelming is the support from complete strangers after Ms Martin’s friends and neighbours established a gofundme page to raise money to help pay for medical and other bills, which are already mounting.

In the first 24 hours after the page was established last Saturday night, $12,000 was raised for Ms Martin and her family.

“I can’t bring myself to look at the (gofundme) page … the amount of support just brings me to tears,” Ms Martin said.

In a little court off a main drag at Alfredton – a cul de sac of just 13 houses – neighbours have rallied around Ms Martin, her husband Ashley and two sons, Jake, 5, and Levi, 3.

Since the news the tumour had crept into her brain in a matter of only a few weeks, neighbours have taken turns to mow Ms Martin’s lawns, bake meals and homemade bread for the family and bring flowers to show their support.

The Martins have lived in the Alfredton court for 11 years. There are only 13 homes in the court, many belonging to young families, just like the Martins.

There are more than 20 children living in the court, so after school, weekends and holidays are a mixture of kids playing in the street, parents catching up for coffee, or something stronger, depending on the time of day, and regular barbecues.

“The support from my beautiful neighbours brings me to tears. But when my children ask why I’m crying, I tell them they are happy tears, not sad ones,” said Ms Martin, a dental nurse at Ballarat Essential Dental.

Just over a month ago, Ms Martin noticed a lump in her neck, but she was initially told her glands may still be swollen after suffering a head cold at Easter.

She was put on a course of antibiotics, but the lump remained after a week of treatment.

An ultrasound discovered a mass and two weeks ago she underwent an MRI at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne, when it was discovered the lump was a tumour.

And last Friday she was delivered a “soccer punch to the guts” when specialists told her the tumour had spread into her brain.

Nerve mapping of the area proved the tumour was not as simple as first thought.

Treatment for the tumour – expected to be carried out in the next few weeks – will be invasive, with neurosurgeons at Epworth Hospital needing to remove the mass over two operations due to the difficulty in accessing it.

Depending on her recovery, Ms Martin will be in the Melbourne hospital for between three and four months.

“It will be rough being away from my family for so long,” Ms Martin said.

Money raised through the gofundme page will go a long way to paying medical bills, accommodation for Ms Martin’s family in Melbourne while she is in hospital and other life essentials back at their home in Alfredton.

“This (gofundme page) means more to me than people will ever know. It will mean I can have my kids with me in Melbourne. It will mean my medial bills can be paid, because the rehabilitation (after the operations) will be extensive,” she said.

Ms Martin is humbled by the generosity of people towards the fundraising effort.

“As much as social media is a beast, it can, sometimes, pull people together,” Ms Martin said.

“There are not enough cards in the world to say thank you to all of my friends, all of my family, my work colleagues, Ashley’s work colleagues and even complete strangers, people from far away as Canada and Nowra in New South Wales, who have contributed to the gofundme page,” Ms Martin said.

Close friends and neighbours Kelly Kosloff and Cheree Cosgriff brainstormed the gofundme idea last Saturday night and have been astounded by the amount raised in such a short time.

Ms Kosloff, a friend of Ms Martin since going to school and working at a supermarket together, describes her as a bubbly woman who lives for her family.

“Sarah will do anything for her children … she’s a family girl through and through,” Ms Kosloff said.

Ms Martin’s brother Luke and family are moving back to Ballarat from overseas to help the Martins through this tough time. He has lived in Canada for three years, but quit his job to be by his sister’s side.

“Luke will be able to help out with the drop-offs and pick-ups of the children,” Ms Martin said.

Ms Martin’s employers at Ballarat Essential Dental and her husband’s bosses at Steel Frame Solutions have also been very supportive of the young family, offering them extended leave to help in the recovery process.

It’s the support of the Ballarat community, her neighbours, friends and family that will help this young mum through this tough time.

Ms Martin’s positivity is also one of her strengths. “I’ve got this (licked),” she said.

As of late Wednesday, almost $13,500 had been raised through the gofundme page.

Anyone wanting to donate can go to https://www.gofundme.com/258g48c