Daughter who lost dad in deer attack reveals 'worst phone call'
The daughter of a man killed in a deer attack in Victoria’s northeast has described the moment she found out about the tragedy.
The incident, which happened on a rural property in Moyhu near Wangaratta – in Victoria’s northeast – on Wednesday, also critically injured Jemma McDonald’s 45-year-old mother, Mandi.
Jemma’s father Paul, 46, died in the attack and the pet deer had to be euthanised.
The couple’s daughter started a GoFundMe page to help her mum with her recovery.
“Two days ago I got the worst phone call a daughter could ever possibly receive,” Ms McDonald wrote on Friday.
“Mum and dad were involved in a freak accident and Ethan and I lost our dad.
“Our world has been turned upside down and with mum being so sick it’s up to us to look after things until she gets better.
“I never thought I would ever have to do this and it’s the hardest journey Ethan and I have ever been.”
Jemma wrote her mum was “the strongest, most generous, kind hearted person you could ever meet”.
“We just want to show her how much she is loved,” the daughter wrote.
“Keep us all in your prayers as we help mum fight the biggest battle of her life.”
Ms McDonald wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday her mum was expected to return to the operating theatre and was in a “stable condition but still fighting for life”.
She added her mother had undergone more than eight hours of surgery since Wednesday’s attack.
“Because mum is so sick, the doctors and specialists have told us to expect a pretty lengthy stay in the Intensive Care Unit,” she wrote.
Australian Deer Association’s Barry Howlett told the Herald Sun on Wednesday it was currently mating season for deer and many would become aggressive and territorial.
Mr Howlett added since the deer was being kept as a pet it possibly lost its fear of humans.
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