Help NZ pianist afford cancer treatment
Please help us raise funds for renowned pianist Katherine Austin to get life-saving immunotherapy cancer treatment.
Auckland
Katherine Austin is a renowned pianist from Aotearoa - and my beautiful mum. In late 2023 she was diagnosed with aggressive endometrial cancer (serous carconoma), and 9 months after her first sickening round of chemotherapy we have just discovered the cancer has metastasised to her lungs, badly.
We are now trying to raise funds for her to immediately begin immunotherapy (Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus Lenvatinib - which is not funded by the government), so she has a chance to live longer than the expected six months. It is an expensive process, 80% of which can be paid for by insurance, however that still leaves $70,698 that we need to have in order to give her this treatment.
We, her whānau, are devastated by this turn of events and are desperate to not lose her. We have heard success stories come from those who have previously had immunotherapy, some for whom it's cured completely. She is already taking excellent care of her health by following expert advice on diet and supplements and doing lots of strenuous exercise, so we are hopeful. We want her to be able to watch her grandchildren grow up, to keep teaching and inspiring the next generation of Aotearoa pianists and delighting audiences around New Zealand (and, hopefully continuing internationally) for years to come.
If you've taken the time to read this, thank you, and please know that if you are able to donate to us, we really will be forever grateful to you. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa, Elani.
📸 2025 Tom Hamill
Elani Austin-Tennant's involvement (page creator)
Katherine Austin is my darling mum.
Use of funds
Every cent raised will go towards immunotherapy costs (Keytruda) plus Lenvatinib), even if we don't reach our target. If the unthinkable happens, it will go towards funeral funds.
Any donations past our goal will be used to help pay for supplements to make sure she gets all the nutrients she needs, and any on top of that will be put towards a trip to see her whānau (family), in the northern hemisphere (provided she is well enough), after her treatment finishes.
Latest update
Katherine's obituary in the Waikato Times 7 April 2026
Shortly after Mum's funeral, we were sought out by Waikato Times obituary writer Richard Swainson (who also runs the Auteur House, Kirikiriroa/Hamilton's last DVD rental store).
He asked if we would allow him to write her obituary for the WT, saying "Her contribution to Waikato music and education more than warrants such recognition. It would be a privilege to help celebrate her life."
He sent me a physical copy of his beautifully written obituary which arrived in the post yesterday. I'm sure many won't have seen it who will want to, as we were so overwhelmed in the week following her passing that we didn't get onto putting an obituary for her anywhere else.
I think it was a surprise to many attending her funeral to hear about her other strengths outside of music. Especially her gymnastics prowess (any possible career in it curtailed by injury), and her immense scholastic success. I often forgot about these things myself.
Anyway, if you are a subscriber to the Waikato Times, you can find the obituary at the link below (if not, and you aren't able to zoom into this picture enough to read it, it's very cheap to subscribe, and you can easily cancel afterwards).
Arohanui e hoa mā, and thank you for your continued messages of aroha and tautoko. We are still struggling to engage/reply but we will slowly get there.
Elani
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