The Richardson Family, Taranaki
“Transplant families often experience extreme hardship … opportunities for both parents to contribute to the family finances are limited by the child’s constant requirements for support” — Beth Harman
Kyla aged two from Taranaki received a kidney from her Dad Jimmy in May 2007. This has ended a lifetime of dialysis and finally offers the Richardsons the prospect of a ‘normal’ family life.
Expecting their second stay at the House for 2007 to be 6 to 8 weeks, Kyla’s recovery after the transplant was ‘miraculous’ and the family headed home just 33 days after the operations. Unfortunately, once home both Kyla and her Dad had minor setbacks and had to return straight away for another few weeks stay while Kyla had her medication modified and her Dad, Jimmy overcame an infection. Initially these were anxious moments for Mum Leisha but although another trip so soon was disruptive she was happy to be back at Starship, where NZ’s transplant specialist expertise is at hand.
The NZ Children’s Transplant Support Trust (NZCTST), which is supported by the Rotary Club of Remuera, provides the Auckland House with a welfare fund for transplant families staying here as Starship is NZ’s centre for transplant surgery. The Richardsons were the first family staying in the House to receive significant support (assistance with their mortgage payments) while Jimmy was unable to work after donating his kidney.
“The fund is a wonderful way to be able to help transplant families,” says Beth Harman, House CEO, “Transplant families often experience extreme financial hardship, opportunities for both parents to contribute to the family finances are limited by the child’s constant requirements for support. Many donors like Jimmy find themselves out of work for extended periods and it is especially hard on the self employed. I only wish we had access to similar resources to help other families with differing diagnoses who face similar financial pressures.”
Transplant families often play a ‘waiting game’ and can be away from home for extended periods. The Trustees of the NZ Children’s Transplant Support Trust identified this as an area that lacked support, as indeed many of their members had been through this experience themselves.
Sue Curlett, Secretary of the NZCTST had many years anxiety leading up to and after her own son’s transplant when the family had to move to Australia to receive treatment and the financial ‘fall-out’ took many years to recover from, hence her and her Trustees commitment to helping NZ’s transplant families today. She says: “The Trust is very happy to be part of the House community and it is a very good opportunity to channel support directly to our constituent families at a time they most need it, we are also pleased the House is working with transplant parents to customize the support to the individual families’ needs.”
