'Home for Christmas': Starship hospital appeals for donations for children this festive season

She spent time in Starship as a baby, but Poppy, 4, will be home this Christmas with her mum, dad, brother and sister. Photo / Supplied

Christmas is the time for fun, food, festivities and family.

However, for some Kiwi kids and their families, Christmas can be a difficult time.

More than 200 children will spend Christmas in Starship this year.

About 180 children will spend the festive season in Starship and about 50 babies will be in Starship's paediatric and newborn intensive care units.

"After everything 2020 has already thrown at us, that's a tough place to be," Aisha Daji Punga, chief executive of the Starship Foundation said.

One of the children who has celebrated Christmas at Starship is 4-year-old Poppy Dixon, who spent 237 days in Starship's paediatric intensive care unit, including Christmas Day, in 2016.

Mum Estelle Dixon said Poppy stopped feeding when she was about 10 weeks old.

"She stopped feeding at around 10 weeks, and we thought 'this is not right'. The nurse looked at her and asked; 'is she usually that grey?'

"They airlifted us to Starship the next day. They basically told us that her heart is not doing what it's supposed to, and you're here for a long haul."

Fortunately, Poppy will spend Christmas at home this year.

"To be at home this Christmas means that our family gets to celebrate together in a way that we couldn't early on," Dixon said.

To help children and their families stay out of hospital for Christmas this year, Starship have created the "Home for Christmas Campaign".

It is hoped Kiwis will give a gift which can make a difference:

• Rather than buying an inflatable pool toy, your $50 gift could help purchase special eye-testing cards, so Starship staff can identify babies and young children with visual impairments at an early stage.
• Instead of buying a deluxe BBQ tool set, a $100 gift could help keep the Starship National Air Ambulance in the air, helping all children in New Zealand access specialist emergency care at Starship.
• Rather than the latest random gadget, $200 could support NZ's only paediatric intensive care unit, providing life-saving care for our most critically ill children.

• Donations can be made online here.