Help for Hone Hillman: Pukekohe boy with brain tumour offered Disneyland trip, inundated with donations

Name: Young boy with tumour hosts garage sales for dream trip
Uploaded: 2025-04-10T13:59:00+12:00
Description: Nine-year-old Hone Hillman is fundraising to fly - for the first time - to visit his favourite cousin in Christchurch. Video / Michael Craig

By Natasha Gordon & Cherie Howie

NZ Herald·

11 Apr, 2025 05:00 PM3 mins to read

NOW PLAYING • Young boy with tumour hosts garage sales for dream trip

Nine-year-old Hone Hillman is fundraising to fly - for the first time - to visit his favourite cousin in Christchurch. Video / Michael Craig

Hone Hillman, 9, held a garage sale to fund a trip to visit his cousin.
Air New Zealand offered Hillman a dream trip to Disneyland once his health improves.
The community donated generously, restoring Hillman’s father’s hope in humanity.

A young boy with a brain tumour who resorted to a garage sale to save for a flight to visit family has been offered a dream trip to Disneyland when his health improves.

Hone Hillman, 9, of Pukekohe, gathered his unneeded toys and books together for a garage sale to fundraise for a trip to see his favourite cousin in Christchurch.

The 9-year-old wasn’t sure how much he would make from the fundraiser but was pleasantly surprised by a flood of unexpected life-changing donations.

Hillman’s father, Sam Samuelu, told the Herald that the first day of the garage sale “beyond exceeded what we’d ever dreamt of”.

Air New Zealand was one of the many organisations that offered to help Hillman.

Samuelu said Air New Zealand told them the airline wanted to gift him flights to Disneyland, or any other overseas destination.

Sam Samuelu and his son Hone Hillman. Hone has been diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. Photo / Michael Craig

Hone’s father said seeing his son’s smile today was unbelievable: “I’ve been crying, I’ve got no words”.

“We really need to get out of here and he really needs this holiday.”

Samuelu said they have been told to wait until Monday to find out if he is healthy enough to fly because as of Friday, it was deemed too high-risk.

Hone’s cousins from Christchurch arrived in Auckland on Friday night after the day of donations.

9-year-old swamped with offers

Hone, who loves school, cooking, colouring and caring for his younger sisters, was diagnosed with hypothalamic langerhans cell histiocytosis in November last year.

After the first story published about Hone, the Herald has been flooded with offers from readers moved by his struggle and his entrepreneurial spirit.

Samuelu said they have received kind donations from Bakers Delight Pukekohe, toys from Crackerjack and even money from the local New World, all donated in person.

Samuelu said this experience has “regained my hope in humanity, these were all strangers, there really are still such good people out there”.

Hone’s father said his son has been in control of all the donations himself.

“I can’t believe how lucky we feel, people keep asking to send more through and it already feels like we have more than we ever thought.”

Chief executive of Palmerston North Airport, David Lanham, told the Herald he wanted to contribute to airfares because “this story really touched me”.

Jetstar also offered to help Hone and his family out by gifting them flights to Christchurch.

How to help

The second garage sale, which will also include a sausage sizzle, popcorn, soft drinks and a small gaming area, will take place at 35A Margarita Rise at 11am today.

Hillman’s father, Sam Samuelu, gave the Herald permission to publish his telephone number, 022 1720 570, for anyone wanting to help.