Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Friend to share special bond

By Rebecca Savory
Bay of Plenty Times·
25 Feb, 2015 07:11 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Melissa Howell (right) will shave her head in solidarity with her childhood friend Bronya Clare who will receive chemotherapy for stage three colon cancer. Photo / Supplied

Melissa Howell (right) will shave her head in solidarity with her childhood friend Bronya Clare who will receive chemotherapy for stage three colon cancer. Photo / Supplied

When 37-year-old Bronya Clare loses her hair to chemotherapy, her close friend Melissa Howell will be right next to her with a matching number one buzz cut.

The Tauranga woman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in early January, after 10 years of poor health, she said.

For the past decade she had gone to more than five GPs in three different countries but believed doctors never suspected cancer.

"It was never recommended to me to get tested for colon cancer ... I now wish that I'd pushed harder to get tested ... I've been sick for a really long time," she said.

In January doctors found two tumours and a week later she was officially diagnosed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The tumour had broken through the lining of her bowel but there was no evidence of it spreading further, she said.

On Monday she would start six weeks' treatment of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, followed by surgery and a second round of chemotherapy.

It was a daunting few months ahead but she said it was the biggest comfort to know she would not be going through it alone, as she had to do with a lot of things as a single mother.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Her childhood friend Melissa would shave her head in solidarity.

Ms Clare said she was overwhelmed when Mrs Howell told her she wanted to shave her head for her.

"It's a huge relief to not have to go through it by myself ... I think I've been really lucky because I haven't felt that panic or isolation people feel when they're going to lose their hair because I know she'll be going through it with me."

Mrs Howell had organised for her hair to be shaved by another friend at Shine Hair Salon in May, and all funds raised would go straight to Ms Clare.

Discover more

Foundation seeking more 'brave shavers'

12 Feb 10:04 PM

Bay couple fight cancer with heads high

15 Feb 12:06 AM

Charities protest vetting costs

16 Feb 07:40 PM

Surprise as Bay lags in cancer target

01 Mar 11:30 PM

Ms Clare said it was hard to accept money from people but was grateful to have support with the "huge financial burden" that came with cancer, that people often did not think of.

Mrs Howell said as soon as she heard of her friend's diagnosis, she wanted to help.

"She thought I was crazy ... I said 'it's just hair, it'll grow back'. We'll be the sexy bald girls together."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Sport

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

12 Jul 02:27 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM

In her debut at Madison Square Garden, the 30-year-old produced a 'total beatdown'.

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

Puchner makes history with silver at U23 canoe slalom world titles

12 Jul 03:37 AM
One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

One taken to Tauranga Hospital after SH29 crash

12 Jul 02:27 AM
Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

Landslide sparks evacuations, roads closed, homes flooded after storm

12 Jul 12:43 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP