SERIOUS ILLNESS DOESN'T STOP FOR A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

As a country we got used to tuning in each day to hear the new numbers for Covid-19. But behind those numbers are many that don’t make the news.

Everyday families are facing their worst nightmare, as their child is diagnosed with a serious health condition.

True Colours Children’s Health Trust provides a free support service for these families throughout the Waikato. We have seen first-hand the enormous impact that serious illness has not only on the child with the condition, but also on their parents, brothers and sisters, and wider family and community. It is an incredibly challenging time for families and one that they shouldn’t have to face on their own.

During Covid Level 3 and 4, True Colours had 16 new families referred to our service. We continued to support over 200 families who have a child who is medically fragile; with 2 of these families sadly losing their child during this time.

These numbers don’t make the daily news, but they are just as important as those reported daily.

We see the people behind these numbers – a child, a brother or sister, a niece or nephew, a grandchild, a friend, a family. These numbers represent real New Zealand families going through unimaginable times, and we are there to walk alongside them so they never feel alone.

While the rest of the country starts to return to some sort of ‘normalcy‘; for families who have a child with a serious health condition, it isn’t that easy. For some it may never return to normal. Children living with a serious health condition can have an incredibly long and hard journey, and one that sadly won’t always have the outcome their families hope for.

As the call goes out to #supportlocal we ask that you think about supporting True Colours too #charitiesarelocaltoo. Every day we are supporting local Waikato families, helping them through the tough times. Like many charity organisations, Covid-19 has placed a huge uncertainty around our future funding. We need your support to ensure no family has to go through their journey alone.

Just as New Zealand has come together as a team to beat the spread of the virus, we ask you to get behind us and help us keep families standing when facing the toughest of times. We know that when we have the community behind us anything is possible. Together we are strong.