Georgina Beyer is seriously ill.
The first transgender Member of Parliament has told the Woman's Day she has been diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Jonah Lomu suffered from the same condition.
The diagnosis came just days before the 55-year-old was to announce her intentions to stand as Wellington mayor. The condition will require her to undergo regular kidney dialysis for the rest of her life, unless she gets a kidney transplant.
However, she is refusing to be defeatist.
But she told Woman's Day, "I'm sure as hell not going to sit back and think, 'Woe is me.' I refuse to be defeatist. This health issue has cast a huge shadow, but I'm going to be positive and proactive."
