Scroll down to read Tara's moving letter of thanks to Starship
"I had never experienced any problems with my back or noticed any protrusions but once it was pointed out to me, I realised that one of my shoulder blades was twice the size of the other."
An orthopaedic surgeon diagnosed scoliosis and Tara, who lived with her family in Hamilton, had her spine checked every six months at the Starship children's hospital in central Auckland.
In 2011, when she was 16 and the curvature angle had reached 45 degrees, it was decided to operate.
"They were able to prolong it enough till I had stopped growing," Tara says.
The surgery involved placing two permanent metal rods on either side of her spine and took seven hours.
"Now I'm aware of the rods in my back all the time. I can't bend my back at all. That restricts a lot of things. I used to be a dancer. I can't do that any more."
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This year she played netball for the first time since before the operation. Her running ability has decreased, but she still enjoys it. "It's good to get back into it."
She paid tribute to the care she received at Starship in a letter to the Herald.
I went into surgery in late December and two weeks of recovery time meant that I was in Starship hospital on Christmas Day. One would think that Christmas Day in a hospital would be a sad affair but the staff at Starship do the most amazing job of still maintaining an air of joy and happiness for everyone.
Even though I was 16 years old sharing a room with a 4-year-old on Christmas Day it was impossible not to get swept away in the Christmas spirit. The nurses and doctors did their best to make us all as comfortable as possible ...
In my two weeks I was visited by performing clowns, firemen bearing gifts and people bringing books and toys for the younger children. It's hard to describe how important these visits were to me and to the other children. Christmas is such a special time especially to children and to have that excitement taken away due to an illness you can't control, every little present or laugh from a stranger really goes a long way. Even though I was lying in a hospital bed unable to eat or drink with a whole multitude of IV lines connected to me I couldn't help but smile at a joke from two clowns.
Two weeks in Starship gave me a new appreciation for the work that the staff and volunteers do for those families who unfortunately spend a large amount of their time in hospital. It is so important to have this hospital specifically suited to children and to provide them with as much happiness as possible during a horrible ordeal. My parents were able to be with me 24 hours a day for the full two weeks of my stay and as a child or teenager this is exceptionally important to have one of your parents with you at all times.
Without Starship I could not have had my surgery at all, let alone in the most comforting and supportive environment imaginable. Now two and a half years on I am studying at Victoria University after having completed a gap year where I travelled around Europe all with two metal rods in my back. I would not be where I am today without Starship and I am forever indebted to the care given to me by the staff and volunteers who work there.
Tara Helm
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