Poutu's Room Makeover

Both Kath and I are cousins, and family to Poutu-te-rangi. He is our nephew. We would like to raise funds to help him and his family. Leukaemia is the name given to a group of cancers that develop in the bone marrow. This leukaemia suddenly struck Poutu without warning New Year’s eve 2018 when he was still just 15 years old, he turned 16 in March 2018. From that time he has needed special care such as chemotherapy, including emergency care in ICU Rotorua and Starship children’s hospital. He continues to need special care and treatment. He is being hospitalised in Auckland Starship Hospital. While he is there, we would like to raise funds to give him a warm, clean and comfortable room back home in Murupara. We feel that he is already fighting for his life, we hope that allowing him to have some comfort at home in his room would help to ease this enormous suffering. When Poutu is home he is mostly confined to his bedroom because he is neutrapenic (he has an abnormally low count of a type of white blood cell - neutrophils). He has an increased vulnerability to infection due to chemotherapy treatments. Therefore, he has to avoid anyone who is sick which means he can not visit others, and any visitors he has can not be sick. Another point is good hygiene can help reduce the risk of infection so a clean room is best for him and we need your help to reach that goal. He needs new curtains, carpet, a new bed, paint/and or wallpaper, and a recliner chair for comfort too. We invite you to get on this waka, a waka of people and show your care and support for our nephew. On 18th August 2018, I held my nephews hand. It was the most heart wrenching thing watching my nephew fight for his life. That night he nearly died because he was bleeding internally, thankfully a jet flew him from Rotorua to Auckland starship hospital. His immediate whānau are there to support him each moment they can. If you just spend a second or minute with this young man, you will know he is a special young lad. We are thankful for prayers, and Poutu is on a journey with God. Poutu, is a fighter, a warrior and a leader as depicted in the Māori design gifted to him by his older cousin Māori Artist, Murray Bidois. Let's join together on this waka to support Poutu. We also thank Christian prayers from The Healing Rooms in Rotorua, and Legacy Rotorua women for their prayers and the many karakia being prayed for him around the motu. Thank you for your support, and time and care to support our fundraising.

This makeover would include and begin with the basics such as all brand new; curtains, carpet, wallpaper/or a paint, a new bed and a recliner chair and heating (insulation in the floors and ceiling) and any professional labour if required.