Tragedy breaks heart

Sleeping rough at Shoalwater’s Lake Richmond, with others who had found themselves homeless, Michelle Losurda slipped into a diabetic coma and died.

On Monday, Ms Losurda’s partner of 15 years Peter Toomey held back tears as he recalled waking on May 19 to find the love of his life curled up beside him dead.

She was 34 years old.

Mr Toomey shared his heartbreaking story with the Telegraph in the hope it would be the catalyst for action to help Rockingham’s homeless.

Battling diabetes and mental illness, including schizophrenia, Ms Losurda, had struggled to keep her life on track.

He said they had been forced to leave their unit, which was put up for sale and, after paying for immediate storage, had nowhere to go.

“We looked for properties everywhere, but we couldn’t find any accommodation, so our last resort was to buy a tent from K-Mart and pitch it in the middle of Lake Richmond,” Mr Toomey said.

He said they called the lake home for three weeks, along with about five others.

The 44-year-old believes Ms Losurda’s death could have been avoided if circumstances were different.

But, by the time ambulances arrived, it was too late.

Mr Toomey said he and Ms Losurda were helped by organisations in the region, including the Salvation Army and Anglicare, but both were unable to provide housing.

“I would like to see people do more to help the homeless — there are too many people living on the streets, in cars and under bridges,” he said.

He said he would forever remember Ms Losurda as a kind-hearted woman who would give her last dollar to help someone in need.

“I will have to try and move on with my life, I guess, it is going to be hard for me — she was the love of my life, we were like Bonnie and Clyde,” he said. “We were never apart.”

Thirty-four purple balloons were released in honour of Ms Losurda at her funeral last Friday.