Australian woman fulfils dying wish to marry same-sex partner

An Australian woman has fulfilled a dying wish to marry her partner, after an online campaign raised almost $10,000.

Lee Bransden, 75, has been given just weeks to live after being diagnosed with a lung disease.

Unable to legally marry in Australia, an online campaign raised enough money to send Bransden and Sandra Yates to New Zealand, where they exchanged vows at Rotorua’s Mitai village over the weekend

“We will use this inadequate word of ‘thank you’ to everyone who has supported us in our fabulous journey to become married. Thank you for all the beautiful wishes and generous donations enabling us to succeed in our destiny to be wed,” Yates said afterwards.

Brandsen added: “It’s been the most wonderful day of my life. I am married to the most wonderful woman. This should have happened in Australia. For any other Aussies wanting to be married, I can highly recommend the beautiful people of New Zealand.”

The Australia Marriage Equality offered it’s congruatlions to the couple, while director Rodney Croome said that it further highlighted that “marriage equality is an urgent reform many Australian couples and families can no longer wait for”.

Yates concluded: “We are supposed to be a leading-edge country. We really are not that advanced.”

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