Mount Maunganui teenager Zahnee Riley-Campbell is turning 18 on Sunday - a milestone she is celebrating by organising a dog walk to raise funds for a charity that supports terminally ill children. She is no stranger to hospitals due to a rare condition she was born with and
Zahnee Riley-Campbell organises dog walk fundraising event in Mount Maunganui for 18th birthday
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Zahnee was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis of the L5–S1 level of the lumbar spine, which meant she was not able to walk properly.
In November 2018, she underwent a 10-hour operation at Starship Hospital to realign her lower spine.
In 2011, she had a life-changing operation in New York to reposition her eyes due to damage from a rare facial vascular haemangioma, associated with Phace syndrome, which she was born with.
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The condition meant her sight had deteriorated, affecting coordination and causing headaches and painful pressure on her shoulders.
Her family raised $62,000 for her operation, consultations and travel costs in New York after their application to a special government health fund was declined.
Zahnee told the Bay of Plenty Times she hoped to raise between $1000 and $2000 for the Guardian Angels Trust.
“I wanted to give to them - it looks like an amazing charity and the stuff that they do.
“It’s my 18th birthday - I wanted to do something fun and cool. Like Zahnee’s climb - that was a really successful event.”
Zahnee said dogs of all sizes and breeds and their families were welcome from 11am to 2pm to participate in the walk.
Her mother, Jade Riley, has organised a face painter and balloon artist for a gold coin donation.
Riley said she and her daughter had always organised fundraisers and wanted to give back to the community after people donated to Zahnee for her surgery.
Coastal Pet Vets Papamoa and FreshChoice Papamoa had donated prizes such as best-dressed. LM Creations had screenprinted the bandannas as a donation, she said.
People could buy the $15 tickets - which come with a bandanna for their dog - at the vet, FreshChoice or online.
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All proceeds will go to the trust.
Zahnee Riley-Campbell: From being ‘bedridden’ to finishing Year 13
Zahnee is preparing her application for a degree in social work next year after her last day at Aquinas College on Thursday.
But school hasn’t been easy for her - she was “bedridden” with pain for 18 months prior to her spinal surgery in 2018, which meant she missed out on most of Year 8.
After her spinal surgery, Riley-Campbell said it was “challenging” going back to school but she was able to catch up socially and academically.
“Being able to wake up with no pain, being able to do full days at school is very nice - just to hang out with friends. It’s really benefited my mental health being able to hang out with people more.”
She said she “pretty much” lived a normal life - playing bass guitar, going to the cinema, walking her dogs on the beach, volunteering and hanging out with friends.
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But she still became fatigued quite easily, she said.
She is applying to do a four-year degree in social work at Bethlehem Tertiary Institute, inspired by meeting many social workers and her experience and challenges at the hospital, she said.
“I think I’ve always wanted to go into something where I wanted to help people and look after people.”
Update: The dog walk has been postponed until November 18 from 11am to 2pm due to weather. Tickets are still available to purchase.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
