Motherless daughters urged to share their stories to normalise grief (2025)

Morgan Hunter was just nine months old when she lost her parents and two sisters in a horrific car accident.

The 31-year-old, from Queensland's Sunshine Coast, thought she had no memories of her mother Kerrie — until recently.

"I was able to watch a family video for the first time and I heard her laugh," Ms Hunter said.

Mother's Day pain

Ms Hunter and her brother, who also survived the 1994 crash, were raised by their aunt and uncle.

"You used to have the Mother's Day stalls at school," she said.

"I was still picking out a present for someone who stood in the place of a mum, but she never was my mum — it never felt truly real or whole.

When she did speak, Ms Hunter said her grief would often be "minimised".

"People will kind of say, 'But you didn't know them so you wouldn't really understand what grief or what loss is,'" she said.

Honouring her mum's memory

Ms Hunter is one of 3.9 million Australian women who have lost their mum, with 1.2 million experiencing the profound loss before the age of 44.

A few years ago, she discovered advocacy group Motherless Daughters Australia.

"It's been such a humanising experience, it's made me feel like there are people out there who just get it," she said.

The group has also transformed the way she now deals with her grief.

"For a long time, I didn't have any rituals. It's something I'm starting to build and develop," she said.

"I read through her [Kerrie's] journals on days of significance, like her birthday or on Mother's Day, I'll try and really lean into that connection and try and understand her.

"I will light a candle. I might make a recipe from her recipe book to try and eat something that she enjoyed."

She said finally talking about her mother had brought her a lot of comfort.

"She is described as being born to be a mum … incredibly nurturing and really aware of her kids and what they loved and was always trying to make every single day a special experience," she said.

Reclaiming the day

Danielle Snelling co-founded Motherless Daughters Australia in 2013, after losing her mum Rosa to a rare gynaecological cancer.

Ms Snelling said it was important to remember the origins of Mother's Day, which was founded in 1905 by Anna Jarvis, after the American's mother Ann died.

"That helps women in our community have a sense of ownership on the day … to feel that they can very much partake in Mother's Day, and the day actually exists through a daughter grieving her mum," Ms Snelling said.

"This year, our campaign is focusing on educating people that grief's not brief.

"Whether you lost your mum a year ago, six months ago or 20 years ago, the impact of that grief and loss is still very much present, especially at this time of year — however you feel is perfectly fine."

She said the time leading up to Mother's Day could be just as tough but there were ways to support those who were grieving.

While Motherless Daughters Australia is an organisation created specifically for women, much of the support and insights shared can be equally helpful for sons who are grieving, or for those wanting to support a bereaved woman.