McLeod’s Daughters star Rachael Carpani remembered on her birthday, eight months after her death

McLeod’s Daughters star Rachael Carpani has been been remembered with a touching tribute, eight months after her death at the age of 45.

Marking the first birthday since her tragic passing in December 2025, her former castmate shared moving memories of the actress, best known for her iconic role as Jodi Fountain.

Carpani’s family announced the heartbreaking news on Instagram at the time, confirming she had passed away peacefully following a long battle with an undisclosed chronic illness.

On Monday, her former McLeod’s Daughters co-star, Simmone Jade Mackinnon, paid tribute to Carpani on the day she would have been celebrating turning 46.

Mackinnon, who played Stevie Hall, shared an emotional clip on Instagram, which featured footage of their time together on set.

“This morning I whispered to the winds of the southern skies…,” Mackinnon wrote.

“’Please take my love and birthday wishes to my friend, who now resides up there in the stars. Wrap yourself around her and give her the biggest birthday hug from me.’

“Happy heavenly birthday Carpo… sure do miss you.”

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Carpani’s sister, Georgia, commented on the tribute: “Love seeing this, Simone, thank you for such a lovely birthday message for my beautiful sister.”

Georgia also shared her own message on Instagram, remembering her sister and saying she was forever grateful for the time they shared.

“Your generosity and compassion for others in need was inspiring and will never be forgotten. You touched so many lives simply by being you,” she said.

“And when times get tough, when the thought of not being able to hug you hits devastatingly hard, I’ll pause and remember how much you made me laugh, laugh until I couldn’t breathe.”

Carpani rose to fame on McLeod’s Daughters, which was filmed in South Australia, appearing from 2001 to 2009. Her performance earned her two Logie nominations in 2007 — including the coveted Gold Logie.

She also featured in films such as Hating Alison Ashley and The Very Excellent Mr Dundee and made guest appearances in All Saints and NCIS: Los Angeles.

Her final role was on Home and Away in 2024, playing Claudia Salini.

While details of her illness remain private, Carpani had previously spoken openly about her long and painful health journey with endometriosis in a bid to help others.

In October 2021, after 20 years of suffering in silence, Carpani revealed on Instagram she had finally received treatment for the condition she had battled since the age of 13.

In a long post accompanied by a video, the actress explained for more than two decades she had been repeatedly told her symptoms were simply “painful periods”.

After years of misdiagnosis, Carpani learned in her 30s her extreme pain was caused by endometriosis, which causes tissue similar to the uterine lining to grow outside the uterus, affecting nearby organs and often causing fertility issues.

Carpani said the specialists significantly reduced the pain she had experienced for more than two decades through a treatment known as uterine artery embolisation, or UAE.

Her openness helped shine a light on the silent suffering experienced by countless women — a legacy that continues beyond her passing.

“RIP Sweet Fighter,” one person wrote on the video after news of her death was shared.