Help Shaun Barnett and his family as he deals with brain cancer

Wellington photographer, tramper and author Shaun Barnett is not the kind of person who asks for help. He’s the kind of person who always looks out for others. But we, his friends, would like to help, because he and his family are going through a pretty tough time.

Shaun was recently diagnosed with a Grade 4 cancerous brain tumour. A diagnosis like this impacts the whole family, and Shaun’s wife has stopped working for a while to help Shaun through his treatment. They have three kids, with the youngest aged 16.

Shaun has written and co-written several award-winning books about New Zealand's backcountry, such as Shelter from the Storm, The Story of New Zealand Backcountry Huts (2012), Tramping, A New Zealand History (2014) and Across the Pass, A Collection of New Zealand Tramping Writing (2021).

What he wants to do with the time he has left is to finish a memoir about his life in nature, called Wild Notes. He’s part way through but there’s a lot more writing to do.

To do this he needs our help. So we’ve set up this Give-a-Little page for Shaun and his family.

All money raised will help the family while Shaun completes his book. A priority for the family is paying for life-extending treatments that are not funded for his condition.

The family knows times are tough for a lot of people. But if you are in a position to help, it would be enormously appreciated.

Shaun is the kindest, loveliest man, and his memoir will be something really special.