Michelle Yvonne Gough: The mum at centre of alleged attempt to murder disabled daughter

A GoFundMe account run by the WA woman who allegedly tried to murder her disabled daughter reveals her desperate efforts to improve her daughter’s quality of life. Michelle Yvonne Gough, 40, has been charged with the attempted murder of her six-year-old daughter last month, with police alleging the girl was given an overdose of a drug, believed to be insulin. Child Abuse Squad detectives have also charged a 47-year-old Albany GP, Dr Pieter Theunis Austin, with attempted murder after he allegedly supplied the drug with knowledge of its intended use on January 17. The explosive allegations have shocked the towns of Denmark and Albany, where many people have rushed to the support of Dr Austin. Other online comments have not been so supportive of him. The six-year-old girl, who has severe disabilities, allegedly became unwell on January 19 as a result of the drug being administered. Police say another relative of the girl took her to hospital, where she was stabilised then flown to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Child abuse squad detectives arrested Ms Gough on Friday. Ms Gough — who is believed to live at William Bay near Denmark — faced court in Perth on Saturday on a charge of attempted murder. Dr Austin — who is listed as the practice principal at The Surgery in Albany — was arrested by child abuse squad detectives on Wednesday and charged with the same offence. Both Ms Gough and Dr Austin have been remanded in custody to appear at Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on February 16. The GoFundMe account started by Ms Gough in December 2016 paints a picture of a devoted mother who went to extraordinary lengths to help the youngest of her four children. She started the account when her daughter was 14 months old, with a goal of raising $20,000 for her treatment. In her original post, Ms Gough said the girl had been “diagnosed with a neurological issue that affects her ability to organise her gross and fine movement patterns”. “(She) has been unable to learn to move her body voluntarily or effectively, which means she finds it difficult to eat, chew and swallow,” Ms Gough said in December 2016. She wanted to raise money to pay for Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI) treatment. “We would greatly appreciate any financial help we are offered to help our beautiful baby girl continue improving and make the most of this time while she is so young,” she said. The community rallied around her family and the $20,000 goal was reached within four months. People who donated to the GoFundMe account left heartfelt messages to her “wonderful parents and family”. In the 19 updates she posted over the course a year and a half, Ms Gough thanked various community organisations and individuals who had helped raise money for her daughter’s treatment. According to the posts, Denmark Baptist Church donated $1100 which they had raised at the local Christmas Parade, IGA Express paid for her flights to the US, and the Denmark Golf Club donated their hall for a wine and chocolate tasting fundraiser. Those who helped raise money for the family have this week spoken confidentially about how dedicated she seemed to be to helping her daughter. In April 2017, Ms Gough said she flew to the US with the girl to attend an MNRI conference. The trip to the US gave her a sense of hope, with an MNRI expert assuring her that her daughter would be able to walk if she continued with the exercises. “We are all looking forward to watching our little (daughter) begin to finally thrive in her body,” Ms Gough said from the US. “Thank you all for making this opportunity possible.” In her final update on the GoFundMe account in August 2017, Ms Gough said her daughter’s progress had been up and down, but she was showing signs of improvement. “Two steps forward, one back kind of thing ... it can be quite frustrating at times,” she said. “However the emotional highs we have when she makes any bit of progress more than makes up for it.” She said she had been combining MNRI therapy, yoga, physiotherapy, nutritional changes and specialised foam supports. “She has really taught us all to live in the moment and appreciate the little things,” Ms Gough said.