Julia Watson, from the popular and award-winning blog Five Fairies and a Fella, has had some very difficult news this week.
Julia has written for Essential Baby many times, covering a wide range of issues that are close to her heart, with her love and devotion to her husband Gaz and four daughters shining through every one.
She has written about life with a mother with mental illness, the heartbreak of being sexually abused as a child, and life with her beautiful daughter with Down syndrome.
But the stories that have stuck in most people's minds are those that deal with how precious life is - the stories about her life after she was diagnosed with cancer. Julia has always been open and honest about her devastating diagnosis of stage 4 bowel cancer.
Even their titles tell her heartbreaking story: 'One day when I didn't know', 'Let your body tell your story', 'Mums, don't die with your light inside you'.
This passage, from the latter article, sums up Julia's infectious, inspiring attitude to life:
"So do this for me. Find what makes you shine (and you probably already know what it is), and start making steps towards it. They can just be baby steps, but make them. Plant the seed. DO IT NOW. You don't need perspective the way I got it - and believe me, you don't want it. You do it while you still have all the innocence of someone who has a lot of years in front of you. Because, by the law of averages, some of you haven't, and you just don't know it yet.
"Because no one knows the end date, I'm not going to work towards it. Day to day will become year to year, and I'll just keep going. I'll just keep doing my thing, and doing new things, and being authentic and true to myself, and I want to take you along for the ride.
I've got a hunger. Haven't you? Don't die with your light inside you. At least I know I won't."
Then, when the public learnt of Belle Gibson's deceit – when she claimed she had cured her own cancer, and made money from desperate cancer sufferers – Julia wrote about just how outrageous and horrific her lies had been. It struck a nerve with so many people, and lead to the country meeting Julia and her family on an episode of 60 Minutes.
But that's not all: you may know Julia from her book, Breakfast, School Run, Chemo, which has been devoured by so many around Australia – and the rest of the world.
This has all happened against the background of Julia battling cancer, which continued its slow march across her body as she lived her life as an active blogger, friend to so many, and wife to Gaz.
And, of course, a devoted and involved mum to Indi, Tana, Dakota and Georgia.
But now Julia has heard the words no one wants to hear: "There's nothing more we can do." After countless operations and treatments, Julia and her family are facing the worst.
In the words of Julia's friend Donna, who has started a GoFundMe page for the family:
"Jules needs to rest now and spend her remaining days with her amazing husband Gary and their four gorgeous daughters. But she can't do this unless Gaz can be with her. And this can only happen if we, Julia's friends and loved ones, take care of the rest so Gaz and their girls can be by Julia's side every moment they have left together.
"Help us to take care of Gary and the girls so this very special family can be looked after while they spend their last moments with their beautiful wife and mother."
The page is now taking donations – as Donna adds:
"Anything is appreciated. We'll turn it into food, meals, school lunches, house cleaning and gardening, so Gary and his gorgeous girls won't have to worry about it.
"Thank you to everyone who can donate. We know Julia will be so comforted knowing her family are being taken care of."
We here at Essential Baby consider ourselves privileged to know you, Julia, and so grateful that you chose to share your stories with us. We will make sure your writing lives on – whenever the time comes, in months or years, we know that your girls will never have any doubt about their brave, inspiring, beautiful mum who touched so many in her time here on Earth with us.
Donate to the Julia Watson Family Fund here.