"The House meant we could be close to Manu and focus on his care rather than the financial and emotional stress that staying with family, or living in a motel, would have caused".
"The House meant we could be close to Manu and focus on his care rather than the financial and emotional stress that staying with family, or living in a motel, would have caused".

The Haggie Family

The Haggie's found the house a big help, and was fun for young siblings...

Mum Amanda just knew that something wasn’t right with her baby. And on her persistence specialists at local Christchurch Hospital confirmed her fears – At 10 months Amanda and Reihanna Haggie’s son Manuaitu (Manu) was given a serious diagnosis; he had a liver tumour.

Baby Manu needed to go to Auckland’s Starship for specialist treatment, but that was brought forward when they were rocked by the Christchurch earthquake in February 2011. He was sent to Auckland soon after with his Mother.

On Amanda’s first day at Ronald McDonald House Auckland she just looked out at the view, and had a chance to gather her thoughts. And as the days went by, the proximity to the hospital was very important for them.

Her two older sons came to visit at the House for two nights and loved it. Being there with other kids going through the same thing made the boys feel normal. She said that the kids in the House form a tribe and made some “best friends”.

As a Mum she went from traumatic shock to getting practical and focussed, and the House supported her through this important processing. They found strength in being around others in a similar situation.

If the House hadn’t been there Amanda says they would have stayed with family but the transport costs, potential disruption, and not being close to the hospital would have made a challenging time a lot more difficult. Or they could have stayed at a motel close to the hospital, but that would have been a huge expense to the family with their lengthy stay.
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