All our love and support to Kirsten's family

Our beloved teacher, colleague and friend, Kirsten Meleisea, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in March of this year. She was already a Cancer survivor, beating this awful disease 17 years ago. She faced this new diagnosis the way she faced everything else in life, with a stubborn determination to succeed. She was going to beat it again. Tragically, no one anticipated the speed with which the cancer would spread and, on August 1st, less than 5 months after her diagnosis, Kirsten passed away, with her family at her side.

When you are a teacher, you are part of a second family. And Kirsten's second family was us - a whole community of teachers and colleagues, students and their families, here at The Gardens School, in Manurewa, Auckland. Kirsten was truly one of a kind, with a hilarious sense of humour, an incredible work ethic and the best interpretive dance moves you will ever see.

As her second family, we want to do whatever we can to support Kirsten's husband Vinnie and her children Dylan (18), Luca (12) and Ellee (6), as they navigate the time ahead, without their beautiful wife and mother. We have been asked by so many people in our community, what they can do to help and we are sure you will support us with this for Kirsten's family.