Mea Richards Aplastic Anaemia Journey.

Mea Richards is a beautiful young girl, now known for her bravery. Like many other 11-year-olds, she dreams of spending time with friends. Instead, for more than three years now, Mea and her family have embarked on an incredibly challenging journey following her diagnosis of aplastic anaemia at just eight years old.

Mea is now preparing for a bone marrow transplant. Despite extensive efforts, no fully matched donor has been found worldwide. As a result, her medical team is preparing to proceed with a partial donor. Her gorgeous sister Stella is stepping up to provide this marrow.

Aplastic anaemia is a serious and complex illness. In many ways, it looks, acts and is treated in similar ways to cancer. Mea’s care is delivered monitored by an oncology specialist team. However, because aplastic anaemia is not classed as cancer, Mea and her family miss out on some of the formal support available to others facing comparable treatment journeys.

This next phase of treatment must take place in Auckland at Starship Hospital, meaning extended time away from home. For Nicole, Ray, and Stella, this will involve long periods apart, adjusting to life split between cities, and managing the emotional toll of separation during an already difficult time. The move will also see the family transition to a single-income household, while facing the added costs of travel, accommodation, and day-to-day living. During treatment, they will be based between Starship Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.