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"Old Man Mac" McKenzie

$8,711 donated

Given by 81 generous donors in 11 weeks

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Help Old Man Mac McKenzie get home to NZ

Nationwide

Murdoch 'Old Man Mac' McKenzie, ex 2/1 RNZIR & 1RNZIR Singapore & Linton

“Old Man Mac” has been off the radar in Australia for well over 10 years, his son has not seen him for 20 years. In April this year, he suffered a massive stroke in his accommodation in Darwin, Australia. Luckily, he was found some days later and taken to Palmerston Regional Hospital in Darwin.

By some miracle his family in NZ found out and his niece Makuini went to Darwin to see him straight away. The goal for the whanau is to get him transferred to Gisborne hospital, but there are a few legal and medical issues that have to be organised before the transfer can be signed off for the hospital to release him.

He currently requires 24/7 care, unable to speak or write and has to be fed by a tube. Thankfully one of the boys (Phil Flavell) has visited him recently and said: “he can see and hear you talking, I’ve shown him photos of the army days and his eyes light up, but he also gets emotional and cries”.

The costs for the transfer will certainly be way up there, so we ask anyone within our current or ex-serving community who knows Mac or not, to donate to help a brother-in-arms.

All donations will be going direct into the bank account of Makuini. who is leading the mission to get him home.

Thank you in advance, ONWARD

JMF Dieppe

Note: His son has a page set up for whanau but we decided to create a separate one to reach out to the wider Ngati Tumatauenga whanau.

John Kingi's involvement (page creator)

I served with Old Man Mac in 1RNZIR, we were in the same platoon together for two years 1987-89. Last time I saw the bro, was in Perth around 2008. Glad to see he's been found and it'll be good to see him reunited with his whanau - ONWARD

Use of funds

Flights to NZ including a travelling nurse/paramedic or doctor that must accompany him, transport to Gisborne hospital from Auckland, legal costs, ongoing care and rehab.

Latest update

Update 10th Dec 10 December 2024

Unfortunately not the news we were hoping for...yet, Old Man Mac is still in the hospital in Darwin. His niece has flown back to Australia 4 days ago to continue the bureaucratic administration to-ing and fro-ing with Centrelink who manages his pension. With the close down of most government departments looming, trying to get him back to be with his whanau for Christmas would be a god send, so fingers crossed once again.

On a positive note one of the boys flew over from Perth to see him last weekend and he did notice small improvements with Mac, more dexterity in his left hand and he even seemed as though he was trying to talk.

That's it for now team, this GAL page ends Christmas day, so if we don't have the good news we are all waiting for by then, I'll post them on the social media FB groups most of you are on.

Thanks once again.

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