Koha for Kate - Healing her cancer - Sometimes it takes a village!

I am writing this plea to 'our village' with permission from our much loved mum Kate (short for Catharina) who rarely asks for help herself but is always the first to offer it to others.

Mum was diagnosed with bladder cancer last December and of course it came as a terrible shock. She has always been our beautiful, healthy, fit and strong mother (and Oma to our kids). Our pillar of strength. Our rock. But now for the first time in her life she seems so fragile.

She's never been one to 'make a fuss' or feel sorry for herself. Nor does she want anyone else to worry and therefore has a tendency to down-play the seriousness of her cancer. But it is serious, and she knows it. And is certainly treating it as such.

She has chosen, after many weeks of researching, to treat her cancer the natural and holistic way. Through diet, Naturopathy, high dose vitamin C, Hyperbaric oxygen treatment, specific cancer fighting and immune boosting vitamins/minerals, herb teas, and essential oils, among other ancient remedies.

These treatments are not cheap and many of them over time can cost thousands. Hence the givealittle page. If we raise enough and the need arises she may even be able to travel to a special cancer clinic in South America where they have successfully treated and cured cancer patients for many years. But we will assess the need for this as the situation develops.

We are all so proud of mum. She has shown such courage and optimism throughout this whole process. Right from her diagnosis until now, she has never faltered in her conviction that she will be able to beat this without chemo or radiation. I attribute it to her deep sense of trust in the human ability to heal ourselves, no matter what the dis-ease. A holistic healing in every sense of the word... body, mind and spirit.

We just want everyone to know that we are grateful for each and every donation, no matter how big or small. Every cent goes directly to mum to take the pressure off the financial side of this journey.

We will update you all on any developments and progress as they arise.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for reading mums story.

Much Aroha xoxo

Kate, Heidi, Rosa, Timo and Iris

A bit of a back-story about Kate:

Born in the Netherlands in 1954, the eldest of 10 children. The family had a hard life and lived in an old school building with no hot running water and very little heating.

She left school to help look after the younger siblings full time at the age of 14 and worked a paper route or other odd jobs to help earn a bit of extra money.

At the age of 16 she met Eelko Nobel, her soulmate. They married several years later and started a family together. In 1989 our family emigrated to New Zealand but tragically just one and a half years later, dad passed away in an accident and mum was widowed and raising 4 children on her own in a foreign country with no extended family around to help.

She was the most nurturing and loving mother to us all despite how hard it must have been for her. And now she is a devoted ‘Omie’ (grandma) to her 5 grandkids who simply adore her.

In truth, mum has been taking care of everyone around her since her early teens and now when she needs it most, it is our turn to give her some of that awhi back.

Please, dear family and friends, help us surround her with strength, encouragement and love and the emotional (and financial) support she so deserves.

Thank you all for hearing her story.

xoxoxo