07/04/2026
THANK YOU and AN UPDATE ON LOU
I am completely overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of everyone who has shared, messaged, and donated in support of the Wilkinson family.
When we launched the GoFundMe, our goal was $15,000 AUD (approximately $10,000 USD) — simply to help Maeve remain in the USA for a short time without the immediate stress of expenses.
Today, thanks to this incredible community, we have raised over $50,000 AUD.
This is truly unbelievable.
Your generosity will not only support Maeve in the coming weeks, but will also help the Wilkinson family face this incredibly difficult time together without the added burden of financial stress. It brings a deep sense of relief — and an even greater sense of love and support.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
I have been sent the following update this morning to share with you all from Dom Wilkinson - Lou’s husband and Maeve’s dad.
Please feel free to share
UPDATE ON LOU
I was able to face time Lou early this morning. She was kindly woken by Maeve and so she was very groggy. Her speech was exactly as you would expect from a person who is recovering from major surgery and being woken. She recognised me and was showing me where the injections went and was really just trying to pick her scalp. For me this is a great sign as I tell her off all the time for this habit. The advantage of distance means she can just ignore me.
Her first question was how Ethan went as she knew who was dancing and when. She also rembered where she had hidden the passports as Maeve was slightly stressful packing up the hotel room today and couldn’t find them. Her grip on her right hand side has got stronger but her left is still showing signs of weakness but its still early days. They will take her for a heart scan today and the MRI will also be done today as it couldn’t be done yesterday.
Maeve looked well and seems so strong which makes me so proud. Tullly, Flynn and I are all coping. Thank you for all your messages and support and if i haven’t responded it doesn’t mean I haven’t read your message, there are just so many of them. As I texted to a friend, it is a great ruse by Lou to get me to text and contact friends which as a lot of you know I never do. Lou was my social secretary.
On a personal note I would like to thank Sharelle Simpson who is the mother of dancers in Qld that Maeve has got to know over the years of dancing. She has been my point of contact with the hospital, going with Maeve, following up with doctors etc and looking after Maeve and all round wonderful person. Without her we would have been lost. I am sure she never thought her Worlds trip would be like this. Our family is so thankful and indebted.
I also need to give a shout out to Fiona McAleer, Maeves dance teacher who has been so supportive and convinced me to let her start a go fund me page as families in the school wanted to support Maeve while she stayed in the USA looking after Lou.
Which leads me to thank firstly the families in the McAleer school, the Victorian Dance schools, the Australian schools and then the world wide schools who have opened their hearts and walllets for a family of Irish dancing kids, a mother who deep down wished she danced and a dad who would just shake is head everytime talk about a new dress would start. I have been left speechless and have cried more than Lou would during a kleenex commercial. (If you know Lou then that is alot) at the genuine warmth, love and generosity they have shown. We are so lucky to be part of this community.
At this stage assume if i don’t give an update then no news is good news, hence the long message now. If anything major happens I will endeavour to let you all know.
Thank you all. We are so lucky to know you and for those who we don’t really know but have crossed paths with, thank you. I know Lou will be embarrassed by all this fuss when she recovers.
In this time of crisis we truly are the luckiest people.
Love Dom
Maeve Wilkinson ❤️
