A Current Affair viewers donate $1 million to orphaned Lawrence brothers

ORPHANED brothers Jarrod, Blake and Dylan Lawrence were left devastated when their mother Natalie died suddenly from two brain aneurisms last month.

The brothers from Sydney had already lost their father Chris tragically a few years ago and the youngest son Dylan was still recovering from treatment for a brain tumour.

But this latest blow — losing their best friend and beloved mum — had left them reeling, facing the lonely prospect of losing each other to foster care and the family home Natalie had worked so hard to build for them.

Then Channel 9’s A Current Affair stepped in and launched a national appeal to “Save the Lawrence Brothers” which has now given them one million reasons to smile again.

In TV at its very best, ACA’s veteran reporter Brady Halls lead a campaign for donations from the show’s audience on Monday night, calling for financial support from the big end of town, corporate Australia for support.

The result? A trust fund opened in the Lawrence brothers’ name with $1.1 million worth of donations ... and counting.

ACA’s executive producer Grant Williams said: “to see the boys go into the bank this morning to find a million dollars sitting in the account was simply breathtaking.

“This was only possible with the phenomenal generosity of A Current Affair’s viewers right around Australia and we thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts,” adding, ``rest assured these Lawrence brothers deserve every cent and will do us all proud.”

With eldest brother Jarrod left to shoulder the greatest burden after his parents’ loss — burying his mother on his 19th birthday — he was preparing to abandon his university studies as a primary school teacher to help support his siblings and pay off debts left behind.

With no life insurance, a sizeable mortgage and no money in the bank, his part-time job was not going to go far.

“There’s still a mortgage, a very big one, we’ve got electricity bills, water bills, gas bills. I don’t know how we’re going to pay for it at the moment,” Jarrod said on Monday night.

Trying to stay strong for his younger brothers before the TV appeal, he said: “I think it’s unfair in a way but we’ll be right. I can look after the boys and do the best I can hopefully.”

While relatives had attempted to stretch their own savings to cover some of the funeral costs and financial commitments left behind after Natalie’s sudden passing, the TV trust fund will now ease all of that financial stress.

Stunned by the public response, Jarrod said the $1m-plus result “feels like a dream.”

“It means we get to keep the house, we can pay a lot of bills and things can get back to normal,” he told host Tracy Grimshaw.

Entrepreneur Dick Smith was one of the first to dig deep, donating $20,000, matched by David Gyngell on behalf of Channel 9.

Grimshaw said the “staggering” support had meant more to viewers than just giving money.

“I feel it has been more than just money ... every dollar has been a figurative hug because people don’t want to see you boys on your own.”

Jarrod Lawrence thanked supporters and said the donations and messages of encouragement “bring a sense of spirit back to the boys ... just knowing people care.”

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