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Help Regina, Cruz & Baby Hezekiah Recover After a Life-Threatening Birth

  • A Little family Update ❤️

      22 August 2026
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    We have some wonderful news to share! The family has been blessed to move into their own rental home in Auckland, close to family. This has brought them stability and comfort after everything they have been through.

    The children have settled into their new school. They were understandably unsettled after the move and difficulties they experienced while Mum and Dad were in Rotorua. With the support of their wonderful teachers, they are doing really well and now love their new school.

    Hezekiah is doing amazingly well, although he has had a wee cough and been unwell as Influenza A continues to affect Auckland. Mum and the children have also been battling Influenza A while Regina continues her postpartum recovery.

    Regina still needs to keep up with her vitamins, medication, follow-up care and appointments. She has been dealing with stomach cramps, fever and chills, making recovery challenging. The physical and emotional strain has also placed pressure on the relationship and affected Dad, who continues to care for Regina and the children.

    Through these struggles, the family is now much more settled. They continue their spiritual routine and rely on prayer, faith and one another.

    They are truly grateful for the wonderful home God has blessed them with and for being closer to family. They thank everyone who has shown love, kindness, generosity and support throughout their journey. Your prayers and encouragement mean so much to the family. ❤️

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  • 💙 Early Payout Request & Campaign Update

      4 August 2026

    From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who has supported Regina, Cruz, and our whānau through your prayers, donations, meals, messages, and acts of kindness. Your generosity has carried us through one of the most difficult times of our lives.

    We have requested an early payout of the funds raised so far because Regina and Cruz urgently need financial support while Regina continues her recovery. We have also reduced our fundraising goal to $20,000 and extended the closing date to better reflect their current needs.

    The funds will help relocate Regina, Cruz, baby Hezekiah, and their children to Auckland, where they can be close to whānau. They will also assist with medical related travel, setting up their new home, everyday living costs, and replacing the income lost while Cruz remains focused on caring for Regina, supporting their children, and looking after his own health before returning to his mowing business.

    We are pleased to share that the four older children have now safely arrived in Auckland. Although it was difficult to leave their friends and congregation, they are looking forward to starting at their new school and settling into their new home close to family.

    Every prayer, donation, and message of encouragement is helping Regina and Cruz rebuild their lives. Thank you for standing beside our whānau and giving them hope for the future. ❤️

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  • 💙 An Update from Regina's Whānau

      29 July 2026

    Regina has now returned home from hospital following further assessment. She has been advised that she has a viral illness, a chest infection, and is continuing to pass blood clots. While she is relieved to be home with her family, she still has a long road to recovery and will continue to require ongoing medical follow-up.

    This latest hospital visit has taken an enormous emotional and physical toll on the entire family. Watching Regina return to hospital has been especially difficult for Cruz and the children. After weeks of ongoing stress, Cruz is now also experiencing health concerns, including a build-up of fluid in his legs, and he too needs to focus on his own health while continuing to care for Regina and their five young children.

    As a result, the decision has been made to bring the family's move to Auckland forward. Rather than waiting, whānau have organised a removal truck and movers so Regina, Cruz, baby Hezekiah, and the children can relocate this week to be surrounded by family support and allow Regina to focus on her recovery.

    It truly feels like when one challenge begins to settle, another quickly follows. Despite everything, the family remains determined to keep moving forward one day at a time and is looking forward to being reunited with whānau in Auckland, where they can begin the next stage of Regina's recovery together. 💙

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  • 💙 A Further Update from Regina's Whānau

      27 July 2026

    💙 Thank you to everyone who continues to pray for Regina and our family. Your love, messages, meals, donations, and practical support have carried us through one of the hardest times of our lives, and we are especially grateful to our faithful brothers and sisters for their constant love and encouragement. Sadly, Regina's recovery has taken another setback. Since being discharged from hospital, an ambulance has been called twice. The first time she was assessed and able to remain at home. Today, after becoming pale, cold, dizzy, and struggling to breathe, she was taken back to hospital by ambulance for further assessment and treatment. We remain deeply concerned that Regina was discharged before she was ready. She is still waiting for the aftercare recommended by her doctors, her ACC support has not yet been processed, and we are still waiting to receive her medical records. At the same time, the family has been coping with repeated disturbances from gang related neighbours, electrical issues at their rental property, and the daily challenge of caring for five young children while Regina tries to recover. We are now doing everything we can to relocate Regina, Cruz, baby Hezekiah, and the children to Auckland, where they can be surrounded by whānau and focus on Regina's recovery. Every prayer, donation, and message of encouragement is helping us take another step toward bringing them home safely. Thank you for continuing to walk this journey with us.

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  • Update – Regina's Recovery

      22 July 2026
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    We are pleased to share that Regina is now home and slowly recovering. She has a long road ahead and needs plenty of rest and time to heal.

    Our whānau have been overwhelmed by the incredible love and support shown by our Jehovah's Witness brothers and sisters of the Kawaha Congregation, along with our wider community. Thank you to everyone who has provided meals, food, donations, prayers, messages of encouragement, and gifts for the children. They absolutely love their new pyjamas. We are truly grateful.

    We would also like to clarify that the video shared publicly does not fully reflect our family's concerns.

    Our concern is not simply that Regina received a blood transfusion. It is the sequence of events that led to her becoming critically ill. Following a Caesarean section, Regina, a descendant of Te Arawa, suffered a severe internal haemorrhage, requiring emergency treatment after litres of blood accumulated in her abdomen. She later required ongoing treatment for complications, including a haematoma and suspected infection.

    Our hope is to see accountability, transparency, and improvements in maternity care. We are planning a gathering where Māori and non-Māori mothers can safely share their experiences and advocate for positive change so that all whānau receive safe, compassionate, and culturally responsive healthcare.

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    • 24/07/2026 by Helen

      Kia ora my spiritual sister Regina. Happy to hear that you're on the mend through love of our Ihowa whanau and Rotorua community. May Ihowa keep you and Hezekiah and Hubby and tamariki well. Love you Regina.

  • Recovery Update – Moving Closer to Whānau ❤️

      19 July 2026

    Regina continues to recover slowly following the traumatic complications she experienced after the birth of our beautiful son, Hezekiah. Alongside her physical recovery, she is also navigating the emotional challenges of postpartum recovery and the trauma of nearly losing her life.

    Her haemoglobin (Hb) remains low, and she will require ongoing medical follow-up. She is also experiencing allergic reactions and skin rashes, which continue to be monitored.

    After much thought and discussion, Regina and her husband, Cruz, have made the difficult decision to move closer to whānau so Regina can receive the love, practical support, and care she needs during her recovery. They have lost confidence in continuing her care in Rotorua and believe being surrounded by family will help her healing journey.

    Cruz has been carrying an enormous load—caring for Regina while also looking after their five beautiful children. The emotional, physical, and financial pressures have taken a significant toll on his own mental health and wellbeing. Asking for help has never come easily for either of them, but at this time they need the support of their community more than ever.

    Every donation, prayer, message, and act of kindness helps ease the burden on this young family as they focus on Regina's recovery and rebuilding their lives together.

    From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing beside the Reihana whānau. Your support means more than words can express. ❤️

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  • 💜 Whānau Hui for Wāhine Following Caesarean Birth 💜

      16 July 2026
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    **Postponed due to a number of attendants effected by Influenza A. **Thank you to everyone who has supported our Givealittle campaign. Your generosity is helping us create a safe and supportive space for wāhine and their whānau.

    We are inviting women who have experienced challenges relating to Caesarean births at Rotorua Hospital to join us for a Whānau Hui.

    📍 Kearoa Meeting House

    25 Apirana Road, Horohoro, Rotorua 3077

    📅 Thursday, 20 August 2026

    🕙 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

    🍽️ Lunch provided

    This hui is an opportunity to connect with others, share your experience if you wish, and learn about the advocacy and support services available. There is no expectation to speak—you are welcome to simply come along, listen, and know you are not alone.

    Our hope is to provide a respectful environment where wāhine can support one another, build connections, and explore ways to improve the experiences of future mothers and pēpi.

    If you know someone who may benefit from attending, please share this invitation with them.

    RSVP by 6 August 2026

    📱 Jayne Pritchard – 027 524 8239

    📧 jaynepritchard7@outlook.com

    Thank you again for standing with us. Every shared story, every conversation, and every act of support helps strengthen our community.

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  • Positive Update: Regina's Recovery Continues

      16 July 2026

    We want to thank everyone who has donated, shared our story, prayed for our family, and sent messages of encouragement. Your kindness has carried us through one of the hardest times of our lives.

    Regina remains under the care of Rotorua Hospital as she continues recovering from the life-threatening complications she experienced following the birth of our beautiful son, Hezekiah.

    The good news is that the medical team has agreed to request a transfer to Auckland City Hospital so Regina can be closer to her whānau while she continues her recovery. We are grateful that this request is being explored and are awaiting further updates.

    Regina continues to receive treatment for a haematoma and infection and remains on intravenous antibiotics. The medical team is closely monitoring her progress and working hard to avoid any further surgery if possible.

    This has been an incredibly traumatic experience for Regina, Cruz, and our five children. Cruz has remained by Regina's side while also caring for their children, and the financial impact has been significant as their lawn mowing business has had to stop while Regina recovers.

    We continue to seek answers about Regina's care through the appropriate hospital processes, but our immediate focus remains her healing and bringing her home safely.

    Thank you for every donation, every prayer, every message, and every act of kindness. Your support has reminded us that we are not walking this journey alone.

    Ngā mihi nui,

    Reihana Whānau ❤️

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