Perth grandmother, Donna Nelson, is preparing to appear in the Tokyo High Court on Thursday hoping to appeal her drug smuggling conviction.

It is understood the brief hearing will allow the court to decide on what evidence can be used at Ms Nelson’s appeal, and if the appeal is even allowed to proceed.

It follows her conviction at trial in December, which saw the 59-year-old sentenced to six years behind bars under difficult conditions in Japanese prison.

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“It hit us all very hard, because we were so confident that she would be coming home, and we just thought it’s so obvious that she wasn’t aware of what was going on and she shouldn’t be where she is,” said Kristal Hilaire.

The eldest of Ms Nelson’s five daughters, Kristal Hilaire, was preparing to fly to Japan yet again this weekend to support her mother.

The journey has become all to familiar for Ms Nelson’s family who have visited as often as they can since her shock arrest at Narita International Airport in January of 2023.

Donna Nelson was found to have two-kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside her suitcase.

The Perth community leader and one-time Greens political candidate has always maintained her innocence, insisting she is the victim of a romance scam.

At trial Ms Nelson told a Japanese courtroom she had no idea the man she believed she was going to marry had hidden the drugs in the case.

“The nerves for Thursday are kicking, because there’s a chance that they will say we are going to reject the appeal altogether,” Kristal Hilaire said.

“We’re hoping that some of the evidence her lawyers have been working on will be admitted, and there’s a witness that they want to have admitted as well.”

“So, we’re just crossing our fingers and really hoping that she gets the best chance at putting her full story out there and coming home.”

If an appeal goes ahead, Ms Nelson’s legal team will push for an acquittal and, at the very least, a dramatic reduction in sentence.

“It’s crazy that she’s gotten through all this time if she didn’t have a positive mindset, I feel like someone would lose their mind,” Ms Hilaire said.

“They don’t get things like TV or anything like that. They’re just alone in their own presence for 23 and a half hours a day.”

“Once every three days, they can have a shower if it’s not a weekend or public holiday.”

Since her arrest Ms Nelson has also not been allowed to make any phone calls, with communication to her family limited to very short, restricted prison visits if they are in Japan.

Otherwise, she has been allowed to write letters.

“She would be allowed to have five small pages once a week,” Ms Hilaire said.

“With five daughters and the three grandkids, it’s not even a page for each person.”

“And it takes like, three weeks for that letter to get to you, so you never really know how she was doing in real time.”

Ahead of her appeal hearing Ms Nelson has been transferred to a detention facility in Tokyo, closer to the high court, which has no limit on pages letter-writing.

Making it easier to write home to her five children, three grandchildren and with a fourth grandchild on the way, with daughter Janelle Morgan expecting in November.

“Mum will never tell us how hard it is to cope, but I know it would have been really, really hard for her to feel like she’s not here throughout Janelle’s pregnancy,” Ms Hilaire said.

“She’s praying for a miracle, that she can be home for the birth of her next grandchild.”

“It just makes her even more eager and desperate to get home.”