Josephine O’Brien may still recall a more joyful period spent in her family’s house.Two small children climbed into bed next to their father in the early morning hours.
Before daylight, her husband Liam would be up responding to emails for his compliance advice firm so that when their kids opened their eyes, he could be totally there. Bath time, literature, and nighttime prayers belonged to him, regardless of how hectic work got.
With their young children, daughter Sophia and son Robert, the Brisbane couple had established what appeared to be a typical life. In May 2022, Liam had just turned forty. However, all changed on June 14, a few weeks later.
The signage appeared to be nearly too small at first. Liam was extremely exhausted and prone to bruises. However, he had always been busy, healthy, and athletic, so fatigue was to be expected.
Josephine realized right away that something was significantly wrong when the doctor asked Liam to come in for the results of a routine blood test and a biopsy as a precaution rather than discussing them over the phone.
It was the unexpected news. A rare and aggressive blood malignancy had been detected in Liam.
Josephine told Daily Mail, “Our world just shattered around us.”
Josephine O’Brien is still able to recall their daily routine prior to the arrival of cancer. In Brisbane, mornings began early as two little children climbed into bed next to their father.
Every night, Liam hurried home to read stories, provide prayers, and encourage his kids to “wake up tomorrow with honourable things to work hard on.” Liam was an active father.
Liam’s platelet count had drastically decreased during a regular blood test prior to the shock diagnosis, and the physicians requested a bone marrow biopsy to look into the matter further.
The family tried not to panic because Liam had successfully completed a comparable exam a year prior. However, Josephine began to feel anxious when the doctor invited them to come in for the findings. “You start to think the worst,” she remarked.
They were devastated to learn that they had myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of blood cancer that eventually developed into leukemia. Additionally, doctors found that Liam had a rare genetic abnormality known as RTEL1, which greatly worsened his prognosis.
However, there wasn’t much room to stop moving with two and three-year-olds at home, so the family had to cling to optimism.
At first, Liam thought he would not require a stem cell transplant for years. Rather, his health quickly declined. He stayed in the hospital for extended periods of time while medical professionals frantically looked for a compatible donor.
Australia’s stem cell donor registry was far too limited, as that search revealed.
Liam poured himself into trying to help others while battling for his own life. He and Josephine started The Life Saving List, an initiative aimed at expanding Australia’s stem cell donor registry and making donor registration easier and more accessible for young Australians.
With their young son Robert and daughter Sophia, the couple had created what appeared to be a normal, healthy life.
At first, Liam thought he would not require a stem cell transplant for years. Rather, his health quickly declined.
Donating blood and supplying an extra vial were prerequisites for registering at the time. The effort was successful in persuading the federal government to permit Australians between the ages of 17 and 35 to participate through a straightforward cheek swab within 18 months. “It takes less than a minute now,” Josephine declared with pride.
“He simply didn’t want families to have to go through what we were going through,” she added, describing the campaign as Liam’s purpose.
Through the campaign’s awareness-raising efforts, the family eventually found Liam a donor, which Josephine says allowed them to spend two more years together.
“We essentially got two more years with Liam that we otherwise wouldn’t have had when we got him a donor out of this campaign,” she added. “The gift of time was everything.”
However, the transplant procedure was harsh.
Liam lost his hair while undergoing therapy. Instead of keeping it a secret from the kids, the family used FaceTime to shave his head so Robert and Sophia could calmly comprehend the procedure rather than being alarmed by abrupt changes.
Liam’s immune system was totally destroyed by chemotherapy at the Royal Brisbane Hospital before donor stem cells could repair it. It was “brought to the brink,” according to Josephine.
Liam lost his hair while undergoing therapy. Instead of keeping it a secret from the kids, the family used FaceTime to shave his head so Robert and Sophia could calmly comprehend the procedure rather than being alarmed by abrupt changes.
The seclusion followed.
Liam was mainly isolated from the outside world for 100 days following the transplant as his body attempted to heal itself. Because even a small illness could become life-threatening, the children were not permitted to enter the hospital ward.
While Josephine alternated between hospital rooms and home quarantine, her mother moved into their home to assist with raising the kids.
To cope with the loneliness, the family created odd new traditions.
During “boot parties,” friends would reverse their cars into the driveway, sit in their open boots, and converse with Liam from a distance through the garage. A group of friends created 100 paper chains for the kids, each with an activity to help them count down the days of seclusion, while others brought fruit boxes and lunches.
To give the kids a tangible representation of time passing, another buddy filled a jar with 100 M&Ms.
“Boot parties” were organized by friends who reversed their automobiles into the driveway, sat in open boots, and talked to Liam from a distance through the garage. “We just tried to give it the best chance,” Josephine remarked.
There were days when there was hope. Liam went into remission once the transplant was successful. “You never knew what you were going to wake up to,” she remarked. “He’d be trucking along okay, and then all of a sudden – wham – we’d be back in hospital.” Other days crumbled into fevers, emergency hospital admissions, and devastating setbacks.
Liam continued to work on The Life Saving List despite everything. He concentrated on assisting strangers in finding donors more quickly than he had, despite his own body deteriorating. “He always said friends, family, and faith were the pillars of a happy life,” Josephine recalled.
The family survived Liam’s last few months thanks to those pillars.
When their father passed away in 2024, two years after his diagnosis and just after turning forty-two, Robert and Sophia were just four and five years old.
Liam was mainly isolated from the outside world for 100 days following the transplant as his body attempted to heal itself.
Instead of using threatening language with children, Josephine and Liam explained that Dad needed stronger medication at the hospital and spoke softly when things changed.
The family is now searching everywhere for Liam.
Rainbows, in Sophia’s opinion, are messages from her father. This year, a double rainbow crossed the sky on Liam’s birthday.
In rugby league, Robert discovers his father. He leaned over and whispered to Josephine, “I think Dad helped them win that game for your birthday,” during last year’s State of Origin decider, which honored fathers after star Cameron Munster lost his own father.Josephine remarked, “We watch videos and talk about him a lot. We feel his presence all the time.” Through small rituals like that, I hope the children remember him.
Liam was a man who carried everyone around him, according to his friends. At home, he was just Dad—the involved father who hurried home every evening to read stories, say prayers, and advise his kids to “wake up tomorrow with honourable things to work hard on.” He also operated a prosperous business, chaired boards, and supported numerous community initiatives.
Liam was a proud and loving father and a true gentleman. “He loved the kids so much,” Josephine remarked.
In order to complete his duties and be present every morning and evening, he would rise early before the children. He always pushed himself so hard, even when he wasn’t feeling well.
The family upholds customs that Liam cherished. Each year on his birthday, they have breakfast at Hellenika in Fortitude Valley before taking the kids on a picnic at the cemetery. The Liam O’Brien Handicap race was founded in Townsville in his honor by friends.
Additionally, Josephine hosted a black-tie dinner last year that Liam had hoped to host on his own after he recovered. More than $265,000 was raised for blood cancer families by the event.
The family is now searching everywhere for Liam. Rainbows, in Sophia’s opinion, are messages from her father. This year, on Liam’s birthday, there was a double rainbow in the sky.
For Josephine, carrying on Liam’s job has become a part of teaching their kids how to deal with loss.
The family upholds customs that Liam cherished. Each year on his birthday, they have breakfast at Hellenika in Fortitude Valley before taking the kids on a picnic at the cemetery. The Liam O’Brien Handicap race was founded in Townsville in his honor by friends. “We did it for Liam – he always said he wanted to host a black-tie event when he was better to help raise money for people in the same situation.”
Josephine is now getting ready to return The Life Saving List to the public spotlight, almost two years after his passing.
Approximately 145,000 Australians suffer with blood cancer, and at least 6,000 of them pass away each year. The only chance of survival for many people is a stem cell transplant.
“There are still families having to run their own campaigns while going through the hardest moment of their lives,” Josephine stated. “The waiting is terrible and all-consuming.” The Life Saving List is advocating for long-term national investment in the Australian Stem Cell Donor Registry, a larger and more diverse donor pool, and a system that lessens pressure on families forced to search desperately for matches themselves.
“They’ve seen things children their age should never have had to see, but I think it’s teaching them resilience and kindness and how important it is to care for other people,” Josephine said, adding that carrying on Liam’s job has become part of teaching their kids how to deal with sorrow.
Australians between the ages of 17 and 35 can sign up for the stem cell donor register by visiting Australian Red Cross Lifeblood or by simply swabbing their cheeks through the Australian Bone Marrow Donor register.
