Clair Spry explains that her sister would dislike the spotlight, preferring it to shine on the Nepali communities affected by displacement and need, and to highlight the climate crisis’s disproportionate impact on the world’s poorest populations.
“Her concern would lie with the families, not herself,” Spry said. “Countless Nepalese have been displaced and traumatized; she would want the focus placed on them and on how we can assist.”
“Global warming is disproportionately harming the world’s poorest, not those in places like New York,” she added. “For Renee, that reality would be heartbreaking.”
Like many other Australians reported missing, Renee reached Gyirong Port only ten minutes before the flood hit. The region suffered severe devastation; rescue imagery from Chinese teams shows buildings, power lines and infrastructure completely flattened.
Renee works as a disability support worker on the Sunshine Coast. She has been partnered with Shaun, an emergency nurse, since they were teenagers, and they have two daughters in their twenties.
Clair has launched a GoFundMe campaign to bring herself, Shaun and their daughters to Nepal. Shaun hopes to travel to Gyirong Port to search for any trace of Renee, while Lily and Ruby insist he not go alone.
“Their immediate reaction is that we must go,” she said. “Although entering the area remains impractical for now, they still wish to travel there.”
“And if they locate her, they hope to bring her home.”
Renee’s family acknowledges how dire the circumstances are and how slim the chances of survival appear for anyone in that zone. Yet, until they have definitive information, they cling to hope, she said.
“Everyone remains realistic about the scale of the tragedy and her location,” she continued. “Still, until she is found, there lingers a faint hope that she might be trapped somewhere unable to escape, or injured.”
“I’ve been reviewing photos in hopes of spotting her, but we recognize the grim reality of the situation.”
Like many Australians, Renee traveled to Nepal on a pilgrimage. Spry described her sister as a deeply spiritual individual who cherished helping others.
“She held two degrees and opted for a wholly selfless career, always putting others first,” Spry said.
“Everyone she encountered felt her love and kindness; she would feel uneasy about all this attention,” she said.
The family of Michael Keats, another Australian who was near the Tibet‑Nepal border when the flash flood struck, confirmed his death via social‑media posts on Sunday.
His wife, Emily Boyd, said on Instagram that he had undertaken a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a lifelong dream.
“Mike embarked on the Mount Kailash pilgrimage in search of enlightenment,” Boyd said.
“There is a bittersweetness in knowing that Mike’s ultimate desire was to know God and unite with the divine.”
“He was a mystic, medicine man, teacher, leader, partner, father, brother, son, uncle and dearly beloved friend. He touched countless lives in countless ways, embodying a heart of pure gold. We will love him forever.”
