Lisa Curry reveals her ‘unbearable sadness and anger’ following tragic death of daughter Jaimi, 33

Lisa Curry has thanked her friends, family, and the general public for their support following the tragic death of her daughter Jaimi Kenny, 33, earlier this month.

In an emotional Instagram post, the Olympic swimmer shared several photos of the many flowers she’s received in the last week-and-a-half since Jaimi’s death.

The 58-year-old also revealed how she’s been coping with the loss and admitted to leaning on others for support during the difficult time.

‘So many flowers… we have started hanging them to dry and also learning how to make pot pourri…’ she wrote.

‘There are thousands of messages and I have randomly read them … I want you to know that your love, strength, comments and suggestions have been wonderful and really really helpful… thank you,’ she continued.

Lisa said that she’s received support in many different ways, from people sharing their own stories of grief with her to strangers hugging her on the street.

‘You have shared with me your own personal stories of loss and grief and how you have slowly returned to a different normal…. thank you,’ she wrote.

‘To the people in the street who come and just hug me… thank you.’

The former athlete then admitted that losing her daughter has tested her strength.

‘I seem to be going through waves of different emotions, unbearable sadness to anger…. I’m usually the one strong one but now I’m leaning on others for strength … so thank you,’ she finished.

This isn’t the first time that a devastated Lisa has opened up about her loss on social media.  

The three-time Olympic swimmer shared a throwback photo to Instagram on Tuesday of herself tenderly hugging Jaimi – who died at the age of 33 after battling alcoholism and an eating disorder for years.

In a heartbreaking caption, Lisa wrote, ‘I don’t know what to do…’ alongside emojis depicting a sad face, a broken heart and an angel.

Lisa’s post was flooded with condolences from her friends, family and supporters.

On Sunday, Lisa had shared another poignant tribute to her eldest child, after farewelling Jaimi a day earlier. 

‘Yesterday, as the sun was setting, we said goodbye to you, our Jaimi,’ she wrote on Instagram of the funeral, which took place on the Sunshine Coast.

‘As the last sun rays filtered through the trees onto you, fairy lights flickering everywhere around, with the most divine flowers surrounding you, and a room full of unconditional love, we farewelled you… always our bubba.

‘It was just perfect… beautiful, quiet, pretty and sparkly… just the way you would have wanted it.’

Lisa alluded to her daughter’s battle with the demons that led to her death, saying that at least now they would haunt her no more.

‘Our little angel, you can now rest peacefully. Free of pain, free to flourish and free to grow, free to just be,’ she wrote.

‘Jaimi, as dad and I lovingly held you when you took your first breath, we lovingly held you as you took your last. Goodnight sweet girl… we hope you have a nice long sleep.’  

Jaimi’s sister, Morgan Gruell, also commemorated her sibling following the funeral service on Saturday.

Morgan said that Jaimi saw the beauty in everyone and everything, and described her as the ‘most sentimental person’ she has ever known.

‘I will always remember her taking the time to stop and take a photo of a pretty flower, an interesting door, or her feet standing next to crunchy leaves that had fallen from the trees,’ she wrote in a heartbreaking Instagram post, alongside a recent photo of the pair together.  

‘I promise to always appreciate these things as she did,’ Morgan continued. 

‘You were surrounded by so much love and beauty. Fairy lights everywhere, flowers everywhere, love everywhere. It was a service fitted for the queen of all things pretty, you would have loved it. We will continue to miss and love you always.’ 

Morgan went on to thank the public for ‘all the messages of love and support that have been pouring in over the past week’.

‘It means the world to us to know how very loved and adored she was by all who met her,’ she concluded. 

Jaimi died at Sunshine Coast University Hospital on September 14 surrounded by her family, after a long battle with an eating disorder and alcoholism. 

She was buried at a 100-person funeral on the Sunshine Coast last Saturday, which was attended by her parents, sporting greats Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny, and her younger brother, model Jett Kenny.

Lisa’s husband, Mark Andrew Tabone, was also seen comforting his distraught wife as Jaimi’s white coffin, covered in pink and orange dahlias and baby’s breath, was carried out of the chapel and placed in the back of a hearse. 

Morgan, who is pregnant, attended the church ceremony with her husband, Ryan Gruell, and their two-year-old son, Flynn.

Prior to her death, Jaimi had expressed her desire to one day have a family of her own, and absolutely doted on the children in her family.

After her parents’ marriage deteriorated, Ironman Grant went on to have a daughter named Trixie Belle with radio presenter Fifi Box.

Trixie was the centre of Jaimi’s universe, and the nanny even moved down to Melbourne to live closer to the child and her mother.

‘Jaimi absolutely adored children and was especially close to Trixie,’ a family friend told Sunshine Coast Daily, adding that her younger half-sister and nephew gave her ‘a whole new lease on life’.

But her struggles with mental health brought her back to the Sunshine Coast and her parents shortly after making the move south.

She worked closely with the End ED clinic, which specialises in eating disorder treatment and recovery.

Meanwhile, Jaimi met and fell in love with local business owner Lachy Crossley on the Sunshine Coast.

His mother Gail said ‘they had plans to be together forever… They were certainly in love’.

‘You could just see the love in their eyes that they had for each other. People described them as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet,’ she added.

But in 2017, Lachy died in circumstances ‘too heartbreaking’ for the family to discuss.

At the time, the couple had recently moved in together and were discussing their future. They both loved each other and loved children even more.

The tragedy plunged Jaimi further into a depression and she spent the subsequent years in and out of hospital and the eating disorder clinic.

Her medical team tried everything, including blood transfusions, to extend her life.

The Curry-Kenny clan have repeatedly thanked her medical team for their hard work in maintaining Jaimi’s quality of life. 

Jaimi’s younger brother, Jett, penned his own sombre tribute on Sunday, reflecting on the good times the close family had with his ‘biggest sister’.

‘You were there whenever I needed you, you taught me how to cook gourmet food like roast potatoes, chicken and salad, and tacos – the essentials in our household,’ he wrote.

‘You gave me a slight insight into fashion by dressing me in up in dresses and putting makeup on me when I was young. You’d sit behind me while I ate dinner and would pick at anything pimple looking on my back – even if it was just a mole.

‘You were my second mother, you were my biggest sister, you were my friend, and you were a fighter until the very end.’ 

‘For free and confidential support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Butterfly Foundation for eating disorder concerns on 1800 ED HOPE