Porewa | Kaitaia

“We’ve been down in Hamilton for the weekend. My brother lives down in Hamilton on Fairfield. I went down there to spend the weekend with him, as his wife’s got cancer back, so I thought it would be nice just to go down there and help around the house and just awhi them throughout the weekend.

Me and my son returned yesterday afternoon. I just wanted to show that we’re still there for them, and we’re just like a phone call away if they need anything. It was good, but it was a bit sad and still feel a bit sad, but I think what I probably came away with was that it felt good that I was there to help my brother and his wife, and just to let them know that we’re here if you need anything. Your family is still here for you, and just gave them a lot of awhi throughout the weekend. 

It’s the second time. My sister went through it, too but she did chemo and she’s still alive today, but at any time she could fall into remission, but as long as she looks after herself and looks after her wellbeing, then she’ll be fine. So I think it was more of a shock with my brother’s wife, for her to get it back again. She had it earlier, but then she had an operation, but I don’t think they got it all, and it’s sort of come back. I could deal with it, because I went through it with my sister earlier on in life. I just wanted to be there just to awhi him and her, that was the reason why I went down for the weekend.

I just took my son. My two girls are up here in Ōtara, holidaying with their father. I think it was just easier to take one child than all of them. I could have left him with his dad, but he didn’t want to stay there so I took him along with me. It didn’t really affect him much. Because I talked to him about it, that his aunty is sick, but she can still get up and walk around. She’s not totally bedridden yet. No, it didn’t affect him. I think most of the time he was riding his little cousins motorbike down there. And it doesn’t really affect me because I think I’m used to it. I’m just happy just to be there to help where I can.

What I value in life is my children. I have nine. I grew up here in Ōtara, South Auckland. I moved away in 2016. I moved back to my mum’s in Kaitaia. I moved back home. My dad’s from Te Kuiti. He’s passed. My mum’s still alive, so I wanted to take my kids back to where I grew up with my nana, my mother’s mum, which was Kaitaia, and she would take us to Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē which is Ninety Mile Beach, when we were little. So, I wanted to share that experience with my kids, and that was the reason why I moved them back home. I just wanted to show my experience growing up because I’m not getting any younger. Just to give them that knowledge, too to pass onto when they have children.”