The Albury Thunder and Jindera communities have thrown their support behind a family battling cancer.
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Fourteen-year-old Kateri Byrnes was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) last September and spent seven months at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
Dad James, who works for Albury Wodonga Health, spent the entire time with his eldest child, while wife Anastasia and the couple's seven other children spent most of the time back home in Jindera.
"It's been the hardest thing we've ever had to go through, particularly in our circumstances with Anastasia and the kids and having to be apart for so long," James said.
The children range in age down to one and with strict restrictions around COVID-19 from mid-March, the rest of the family couldn't see Kateri and James until they arrived home in late April.
"Not being together as a family was the hardest thing, that's where the video calls helped out," James said.
The teenager underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and is now in remission.
"Kateri's good, she's a quiet, shy girl, but never complains and is quite strong," James said.
"Kateri always keeps a positive attitude, there's always people worse off than us, I know it's tough what we've been through, but we've got a lot of blessings.
"We're practicing Catholics, our faith has helped, that's given us comfort.
"All the other kids have been very good during Kateri's illness, they never complained. They all had to step up and help mum at home and all the kids did a great job."
And the community played its role as well.
"The Jindera community and Scotty (Harris) at the Albury Thunder family were unbelievably supportive, the support we got was quite humbling," James said.
"There were meals dropped off and all those little things helped us get through.
"The Albury Thunder family did a fundraiser for Kateri and it was also the messages of support, that's one of the biggest things, knowing that people cared, just knowing that people had your back."
Albury Thunder Junior Rugby League president Scott Harris says the club will do whatever it can to help the family.
"We pride ourselves at the Thunder as being more of a family than a football club and help out anyone in need throughout our extended family," he said.
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Thirteen-year-old Patrick and Xavier, nine, play for the Thunder and lapped up the opportunity to play when the club's first matches were held on Saturday.
"Football was a great release for those guys," Harris said.
It's been the hardest thing we've ever had to go through ... not being together as a family.
- James Byrnes