Thomas Strickland- He manawa kuaka, the long road ahead

This update is from Thomas's son's and whānau

Kia ora e te whānau,

Thank you to everyone who has kept our dad in their thoughts. On behalf of my whānau we want you to know that we feel your outpouring aroha and will ensure to remind dad of the amazing support the motu is sending his way. We are happy to report that dad has made really good progress since arriving at Auckland hospital.

Dad is starting to communicate by pointing at pictures and nodding his head. Yesterday was a massive leap forward for dad, the team at the hospital were able to get him out of bed for a short walk around the ward, this was a huge milestone for him

Dads’ strength and progression is a true testament to the hard work and care of the hospital team and dad's own determination.

Lastly, thank you everyone for sharing your stories about dad's work in supporting kaupapa Māori, it is very humbling and It's clear that he has made a significant impact on the lives of many people, and I'm sure that he will be touched to hear these stories when he is able.

He tika te kōrero ‘mā ngā huruhuru te manu e rere.’ Nā koutou tēnei manu i topa ki ngā rangi. Nā te aroha me te manaakitanga kua horahia e koutou, horokukū ana te hoki ki te kainga.