One of the lesser-known regional organisations, the Hawke's Bay Ostomy Group, gained three new life members at a special gathering yesterday.
Supporting those with colostomy issues, the group exists as a casual support community and recently amalgamated the national's Hastings and Napier arms into one regional group.
Yesterday Jean Blaker, David Wahl and John Lowry (absent) were presented with life memberships to the support group which means their annual $20 subscription fee is waived, president Hugh Thornton said.
"We have lunches together once a month but we took the opportunity this time to do the presentation. The two who were present didn't know they were getting it so it was really quite something."
Mr Thornton said the purpose of such a support group was to get people with similar experience together supporting one another.