Jumping Scared, But Not Giving Up – For Our Unseen Heroes

Kia ora, I’m Te Rina — one of the co-founders of Unseen Heroes NZ, and I’m about to face one of my biggest fears... by jumping out of a plane in Tauranga to raise funds for the beautiful young carers we support.

I’ve put this off for weeks because honestly? I’m terrified. But I’m even more terrified of what happens if we can’t keep going.

I know what it feels like to struggle with your mental health. I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by responsibilities when you’re just a kid — and to carry things that no young person should have to carry on their own.

It wasn’t until my fellow co-founder found me that I finally felt seen and safe. She saw the pain I’d been carrying and helped me begin to heal. Now, she’s doing the same for the kids we work with — walking alongside them, supporting their mental health, and helping them find peace in the middle of all the pressure they live with.

That’s why Unseen Heroes exists — to make sure young carers feel seen, heard, and understood. These are rangatahi caring for a parent with mental illness, supporting a sibling with a disability, helping their kuia or kaumātua, or raising their younger siblings — because it’s what they have to do. They are strong, kind, and resilient. But they’re also tired. And often invisible.

So yeah, I’m scared. But I’m jumping anyway — because we refuse to give up on them.

If you can spare anything at all, every dollar makes a real difference. Let’s make sure they know they matter. 💜