The two women killed in a head-on crash on the Barton Highway last week were recent immigrants to Australia, and have been remembered as generous people with an infectious zest for life.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Pam Valencia, 36, and Sheena Katrina Garcia Landagan, 34, died when the Dodge Journey they were travelling in collided with a Toyota Landcruiser at Wallaroo, just north of the ACT border, on Friday morning.
The women, who were originally from the Philippines, were friends who met through the El Shaddai church in Canberra.
They were on their way to Melbourne to attend a church event with Ms Valencia's four children and husband Jimmy, 39, who was driving the Dodge Journey when the crash happened.
The couple's daughter Jana, 12, was flown to Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital and remains in an induced coma after suffering a brain hemorrhage and undergoing surgery.
Mr Valencia and the other children - Jelai, 16, Jaime, 8, and Jasmine, 1 - all suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The sole occupant of the Toyota Landcruiser, a 65-year-old man, also received non-life-threatening injuries.
A fundraising page set up by Ms Valencia's friend Joana Caoleng says the Valencia family moved to Australia four years ago, after more than a decade living in Singapore.
Ms Caoleng described Ms Valencia as a dedicated and passionate full-time mother to her four children, and said she and her husband were always smiling and making jokes.
"Both of them make the best of any situation," Ms Caoleng wrote.
"Their fervour for life is infectious, and their personalities can light up the darkest places.
"They have moved mountains for their family, friends and loved ones throughout their lives."
The GoFundMe page is calling for donations to support the family while Mr Valencia takes time off work to stay at Jana's bedside.
Just one day after the page was set up, more than $15,000 had already been raised.
The other victim, Ms Garcia Landagan, only moved to Australia about six months ago to start working as a nurse at Calvary Hospital.
Her aunt, Annabelle Garcia, told The Canberra Times the pair had grown extremely close in recent months.
"At the moment I'm really devastated, because she was not just my niece. She has become my best friend," Ms Garcia said.
"She came here full of hope and so full of life.
"She has a brother, sister, niece and nephew in the Philippines, and she was so generous, always doing a lot to support them financially."
Ms Garcia Landagan had booked a trip to the US for next month, and would have visited family there for the first time if not for the crash.
"I'm really shocked," her aunt said.
"We only just went to Featherdale [Wildlife] Park together, and we planned to go to Tasmania and other places."
A NSW Police spokesperson said an investigation to determine the cause of the crash was ongoing.
