Phoenix and Faith Ruddell's lives were devastated in a crash on State Highway 2 on May 3, in which their mother Tracey O'Brien died. They spent weeks in Auckland's Starship Hospital recovering from their injuries.
Their father Matt Ruddell went from working 60 hours a week to working part-time and being the primary caregiver for his children, who had to cope with huge emotional damage and significant injuries.
Faith, 3, broke a leg in the crash and had her cast taken off on Thursday. Phoenix, known by his family as Phee, had a broken pelvis, two broken femurs and a fractured arm, which left him in casts covering about 75 per cent of his body.
Mr Ruddell put together a memory box with newspaper clippings about the crash and sympathy cards, and he hoped the children would be able to go through it when they were ready in order to help them understand what happened.
More than $11,000 had been raised for Faith and Phoenix via Givealittle and Mr Ruddell planned to use some of these funds toward taking the children on a trip.
Former Katikati man Jason Manukau has made some celebrity friends, using his artistic skills. He told reporter Rebecca Savory it was just like catching up with an old mate when he got the chance to meet Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Mr Manukau only took up airbrush art three-and-a-half years ago but it has already led him to paint and meet American celebrities such as singer Jason Derulo and rapper The Game.
Based in Melbourne to be among the art scene, Mr Manukau had made a name for himself posting his works to social media sites Instagram and Facebook.
A friend suggested painting Johnson but Mr Manukau never imagined he would get to meet the American actor and semi-retired professional wrestler in person.
However, his art progress photos posted to social media gained the attention of a friend of Johnson's stunt double who arranged the meeting.
Within a few weeks he had flown to the Gold Coast during Johnson's movie filming and was standing outside a Gold Coast gym chatting to the star.
Mr Manukau said he hoped to paint Richie McCaw and the All Blacks in the future.
When reporters learned about Tauranga's Diane Wilson being involved in a car crash, their hearts went out to her family.
The crash in August left her in a coma with a broken neck and smashed pelvis. She had to spend several months at the Caulfield Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit in Melbourne.
Several reporters here had met and interviewed Diane on her public journey with Crouzon's Syndrome, a condition that meant the bones of her skull were fused together, and had numerous surgeries to reshape her face and head between the ages of 1 and 17.
Diane has always had a positive outlook on life, so it was great when we could report the good news that she was being released from the rehabilitation unit, just in time for Christmas.
"Determination and positivity will get you everywhere. Just being positive. It's the only way to be. I can't change it. Look on the good side of a bad situation," Miss Wilson told the Bay of Plenty Times.
"I'm fine. I'm going to be okay. They can't get rid of me that easy. There was no way I went through everything I went through as a kid to die at 23 of a car accident."
It doesn't get much more inspirational than that.
Not only has the team here worked tirelessly to deliver you the news, they have also given up their time to help out people in the community.
As part of a series, called Bay of Plenty Times Gives Back, reporters have donated up to a day of their time to various charities in a bid to raise awareness about that organisation and the good work they do.
Some of the places we volunteered included: the SPCA, Riding for the Disabled, Women's Refuge, the Cancer Society, Kids Can, Habitat for Humanity, Waipuna Hospice and St John.
In addition, this year's Christmas Appeal for the Tauranga Community Foodbank, which was organised by reporter Amy Wiggins, raised more than $100,000 in cash and food donations.
2014 was a big year.
Here's to 2015 and all the things we can achieve this year. We look forward to meeting you and telling your stories.
