Honouring Tess Pearce: Ballarat disability and animal advocate's legacy

This is how family and friends say everyone best knows Tess, the outspoken disability advocate who was "all smiles and laughs".

Sandie Pearce said her daughter would always do what she could to speak up and champion rights for those who could not easily speak for themselves - humans and animals.

Underneath, Tess was struggling with a deep depression, which she also aimed to raise awareness of through public statements.

Tess died by suicide on Saturday. She was about one month shy of her 30th birthday.

Sandie wants to share her daughter's story to keep Tess' legacy alive in finding ways to promote mental health awareness and animal welfare - both causes for which Tess was fiercely passionate.

A fundraising platform has been set up to help the family cover funeral costs but Sandie has pledged any extra funding to support animals, which Tess would have loved.

Sandie hoped, in the future, to organise a community pet walk at Lake Wendouree knowing the mayhem and all the beautiful creatures would have made her beautiful girl smile.

Conquering a lap of Lake Wendouree was one of Tess' best-known achievements in June, 2019.

Tess had congenital disorder cerebral palsy, which affected her speech and movement. She was unable to walk independently and, until setting the lake as her goal, the furthest she had made with a walker was 1.5 kilometres.

Tess secured a special walker, employed an occupational therapist and set a $5000 fundraising target for Beyond Blue - a figure Tess tripled by the end of her mission.

In six months of training, Tess would vomit and collapse but refused to yield. On her event day Tess passed out at one stage but got back in her walker to finish.

"I am in a position where I can help in some way and Ballarat is such a generous community, so I thought, 'why not?'," Tess told The Courier.

Tess had been studying a Bachelor of Social Work in a bid to help others living with disability, including mental ill-health. She had taken a break to focus on tackling her own depression.

A decade ago, Tess had been championing for improved disability support services and funding. She launched a fundraising drive to secure her own walking frame.

Sandie said Tess was someone people loved to be around.

"A lot of people will remember Tess. She made an impact because she was so kind," Sandie said.

"I've never met anyone so selfless. Tess carried a lot of burdens in life: she was a prisoner of her cerebral palsy; she was a prisoner of her depressions. But you wouldn't have known.

"Tess was all smiles and laughs."

Fundraising campaign "Let's give Tess the send-off she deserves" is at gofundme.com.

If you or someone you know is in need of crisis support, phone Lifeline 13 11 14.

Help is also available, but not limited, via the following organisations. The key message is you are not alone.

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