David's story

David Panui was born on the 8th April 1941 Orakei Pah.(Tamaki Makaurau), Auckland. At the age of one David became very unwell due to contracting cerebrospinal disease due to encephalitis- meningitis. My father James has vivid memories of his brother David the day he was taken from home while living at Karori Crescent. I decided that I would search for David and try and find the answers of his whereabouts. While searching I had discovered that two doctors from the Auckland psychological clinic who were part of the eugenics board, had David signed off and admitted to Braemar Hospital Nelson in April of 1944 age three. While David was hospitalised in Nelson's mental institute he sadly died in the care of the state due to hypostatic pneumonia and heart failure at the age of nine in 1950. David lays in a unmarked grave in Whakapuaka cemetery Nelson and It is with great pain to know that this boy was left in a morgue for five days before he was buried. The family would very much like to bring David home for proper burial where he will be laid to rest near his mother and father at Reweti Marae.