Driven for change.
A story of love, loss and light...
The Airlie Fairy Foundation was created in honour of Airlie Rain Montgomery (lovingly known by those close to her as Fairy), a vibrant, deeply loved 6-year-old girl who was non-verbal, having been diagnosed with level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of three.
On the 16th of March 2025, Airlie wandered from our family home in North Nowra NSW for the very first time. Alone and unable to recognise potential dangers in her surroundings, she was located a few hours later at the base of a cliff, having tragically fallen. Her passing devastated our family and community, leaving an immeasurable loss that continues to shape the foundation’s purpose and mission.
Families like ours
Our family faced enormous challenges throughout her life - navigating the complexities of the NDIS, accessing adequate support, and managing the often-unseen daily realities of caring for a child with high support needs. These experiences revealed systemic gaps, inefficiencies, and barriers that almost always leave families like ours overwhelmed, under-supported, and frequently unheard.
The days, weeks and months following Airlie's passing brought upon new challenges that would test our resolve, our resilience, and that same grief still continues to weigh heavily on us every single day.
Through despair we find a defiant resilience. We keep going. We keep moving forward.
From heartbreak to meaningful action
Determined to turn heartbreak into meaningful action, we founded The Airlie Fairy Foundation to create real, end-to-end, practical solutions that we ourselves needed - far beyond simply just advocacy or awareness campaigns. The foundation aims to prevent family crises, reduce avoidable tragedies, and ensure no parent feels alone in the challenges of raising a neurodivergent or disabled child.
Her spirit lives on
Airlie’s spirit lives on through the foundation’s identity. Her colour was purple, and she loved butterflies, fairies, trains, and bubbles - symbols now woven into the foundation’s branding and programs as gentle reminders of joy, movement, imagination, and freedom.
And while we wish with everything we have that we had never ended up here, through every initiative, the foundation honours her memory while working to build safer, more compassionate systems for children and families across Australia.
Always for you. Always for Airlie.
"If something isn't working, let's fix it. If it doesn't exist, let's build it. I made a promise to Airlie to do better, and it's that promise that drives everything we do."
Our Leadership Team
Corey Montgomery
Founder & CEO
Jodie Mosman
Director
Josh Amess
Director
