NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Wellington dad John Leonard flown to Auckland in coma after wife Maria Packe-Leonard’s flu death

Melissa Nightingale
By Melissa Nightingale
Senior Reporter, NZ Herald - Wellington·NZ Herald·
6 Aug, 2024 11:53 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

In today's headlines with Susie Nordqvist, Kamala Harris has selected her running mate, and pathologist says it's likely Lachie Jones drowned. Video / NZ Herald / Getty

A Wellington father has had to have a procedure to fix a hole in his lung as he battles complications from the same flu that killed his wife two weeks ago.

John Leonard was showing signs of improving last week as he lay in an induced coma in Wellington Hospital’s ICU, but has since “taken a step backwards”, requiring him to be airlifted to Auckland for specialist care.

He had been starting to stabilise last week to the point doctors took him off dialysis on Friday, allowing his kidneys to function unaided, brother-in-law Darrell Packe said.

“All his vitals are improving,” Packe wrote in an update on a Givealittle page set up for the family.

John Leonard with wife Maria Packe-Leonard and their sons.
John Leonard with wife Maria Packe-Leonard and their sons.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But on Sunday things took a turn for the worse.

“John was transferred to Auckland City Hospital late last night. John took a step backwards yesterday and the doctors are concerned about his ability to survive another setback. Auckland has a machine that John needs to help his lungs, which have been compromised by his illness,” Packe said.

Today, Packe again shared an update on the page.

“John is fighting hard. He had a procedure yesterday to repair a hole in his lung - the doctors put in a one-way valve to repair a hole. He’s on an ECMO machine that does the work for his lungs, and midday yesterday they reduced the machine’s input due to John’s fight to beat this.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“[His sons] Jed and Sam are coping day by day, they feel your love. Maria and John would be very proud of them.”

Leonard is in the ICU where he is receiving specialist care around the clock.

His two sons, aged 14 and 15, shared a message on the Givealittle page, thanking everyone for their “kind messages of support” and donations.

“We appreciate you,” they said.

The boys were last week managing well as they dealt with their father’s illness and the recent death of their mother, Wellington nurse Maria Packe-Leonard, Packe said.

The 53-year-old died on July 21, 10 days after developing influenza type A symptoms.

The otherwise fit and healthy nurse had gone to the hospital ED the day before her death and was checked over and discharged. The next day she was “a little bit better” in the morning, but went quickly downhill and succumbed to her illness.

Packe said there was a preliminary report into her death but it said “bugger all” and did not shed any light on why the virus had hit her so hard.

Shortly after Packe-Leonard’s death, her husband started deteriorating as well, Packe said.

John Leonard, with his sons Jed and Sam and late wife Maria Packe-Leonard.
John Leonard, with his sons Jed and Sam and late wife Maria Packe-Leonard.

Leonard’s last message to friends on Facebook thanked everyone for their support after his wife’s death.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Excuse me, but I’m full of the flu. So I’ll turn my phone off for the night. I’m going to try and get some sleep,” he wrote.

Just a couple of days later, Leonard was also fighting for his life in hospital.

The family have put Packe-Leonard’s funeral on hold while they watch Leonard’s recovery.

“What we’re hoping for is that he pulls through, gets well again, strong enough to attend a funeral with his boys,” Packe said last week.

He said the family was doing “pretty well, considering”.

“We’re just having to deal with some hard stuff. Like everyone would be, we’re going through highs and lows.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The boys have been doing “very well” and Packe said the family were making sure to talk to them openly and encourage them to do what feels right, whether that meant going to school or staying at home in bed.

“If they want to cry, that’s fine, if they want to laugh, that’s fine.

“It’s been quite a journey with the boys. They are very special kids.”

53-year-old Maria Packe-Leonard with her two sons, who are now aged 14 and 15, and husband John. Photo / Givealittle
53-year-old Maria Packe-Leonard with her two sons, who are now aged 14 and 15, and husband John. Photo / Givealittle

Packe wanted people to know the boys had been watching the Givealittle page and were reading every comment that came in.

“We’re watching that and it’s quite humbling. You see people put 100 bucks in and you see people put 5 bucks in. It all means the same to us.”

The boys “get a buzz out of how many people are supporting them”.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Packe also wanted to thank the community for the support they had received.

“It’s been fantastic how the community has been around all this, I just want to reiterate all that.”

Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley group director operations Jamie Duncan said Packe-Leonard would be “deeply missed” as a nurse for the Lower Hutt area.

“Maria was a popular and highly-valued member of our Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley whānau.”

Duncan said they were supporting those who worked with Packe-Leonard closely.

At the time of publication the Givealittle page has raised more than $52,000.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Christchurch

Car submerged in Christchurch river, fears people could be inside

07 Jul 08:19 AM
New Zealand

Health NZ board re-established by Government

07 Jul 08:03 AM
New Zealand|crime

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Car submerged in Christchurch river, fears people could be inside

Car submerged in Christchurch river, fears people could be inside

07 Jul 08:19 AM

A member of the public phoned in about the car at 7.10pm.

Health NZ board re-established by Government

Health NZ board re-established by Government

07 Jul 08:03 AM
'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM
Premium
Tech Insider: UK tells retailers to use NZ’s Auror crime-fighting software

Tech Insider: UK tells retailers to use NZ’s Auror crime-fighting software

07 Jul 07:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP