Five years after the London Bridge terror attack claimed the lives of eight people, the family of one Australian victim have launched a new platform to help others experiencing trauma and grief.
Queenslander, 21-year-old, Sara Zelenak was the youngest of the victims killed on June 3, 2017, when three terrorists deliberately drove their van into pedestrians on the London Bridge.
The three men then exited the vehicle and went on a stabbing rampage through nearby Borough Market.
Zelenak, who had been travelling and working in London as a nanny at the time, was the youngest person killed in the attack.
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Fellow Australian Kirsty Boden, a 28-year-old nurse, was also killed while rushing to the aid of another victim.
Zelenak's mother, Julie Wallace, described hearing the news that changed their family's life forever and the overwhelming shock of losing their daughter.
"I honestly thought I was having a heart attack, it could not be real," Wallace said.
"I thought I was dying and I could not accept that was actually the truth."
Wallace says the anniversary of the tragic event is the most dreaded day of the year.
"The build up to an anniversary for me is a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of waves," she said.
"I don't know another family in Brisbane who have suffered the loss of a child in a terror attack.
"It's a horrible feeling, it's unfathomable for others to understand unless they've been through it themselves."
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Julie and Mark Wallace have dedicated the last five years to helping others going through traumatic grief.
Their organisation, Sarz Sanctuary, named for their daughter helps people around the world access support through qualified practitioners.
Today, they've launched an online healing platform which connects trauma victims around the world.
"It's helping people who suffer traumatic grief, loss, PTSD and secondary trauma," Mark Wallace said.
"When you're feeling down, deep, traumatic, prolonged grief, PTSD, you need resources straight away," Julie Wallace said.
The organisation has recently begun facilitating equine therapy with horses in Queensland.
In the aftermath of the February floods, Mark and Julie Wallace used their platform to offer support for others dealing with emotional trauma.
Julie Wallace said while nothing will bring her daughter back, the organisation has helped relieve some of the weight from her loss.
"I remember her beautiful smile it light up the room, she had so much light and reached so many hearts," Wallace said.
"She was kind she was sensitive.
"Life's changed forever and I will always be broken but it's how you heal around that hole in your heart."
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