❤️ Help Maria Fight Against Stage IV Ovarian Cancer

Maria is 55 and has called New Zealand home for the past 20 years. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, she is a single mother of two adult children. Much of Maria’s life has been devoted to caring for and supporting others, through her work as a social worker, phlebotomist and teacher aide. In 2023, after months of unexplained pain and searching for answers, her life changed when she was diagnosed with Stage IV bilateral ovarian cancer. Now, she is the one who urgently needs the help and support of her community.

After diagnosis, Maria underwent chemotherapy and continued her treatment, actively incorporating a range of integrative approaches to support her health and wellbeing. For almost two years, she regained her strength, returned to the activities she loved and even went back to part-time work. Sadly, in 2025, the cancer returned and began progressing again, with new metastases. As her health declined, she had to leave her job. Today, Maria continues to fight the disease, working with holistic health practitioners, researching every option available to her and doing everything she can to regain her health. Most of the financial burden of her ongoing treatment falls on Maria, as many of the therapies she relies on are not publicly funded in New Zealand.