Meads family. (clockwise from top) Tracey, Johannes, 8, Archie, 3, Frank, 5, and Charlie, 7,. 7 December 2017 Rotorua Daily Post Photograph by Ben Fraser
Meads family. (clockwise from top) Tracey, Johannes, 8, Archie, 3, Frank, 5, and Charlie, 7,. 7 December 2017 Rotorua Daily Post Photograph by Ben Fraser
Cancer takes its host on a roller coaster of a journey with an often uncertain destination.
For cancer sufferers no two journeys are the same, according to Rotorua mum Tracey Mead. Mead knows this to be the case after travelling alongside her son Frank as he made his own cancer journey and also beside her friend, Kawerau's Makere Tamihere, whose son Mikaera is also on a journey of his own.
In May 2014 as a 17-year-old, Mikaera was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia and in August the same year a bone marrow match was found for the then Whakatane High School student. It was at that time Mead and Tamihere first met.
"We were both at Starship hospital and at Ronald McDonald House," Mead said. "Frank, who was 1 at the time, and Mikaera were going through the same thing and I guess Makere and I were too.
"The first time we spoke to each Makere was making her son a smoothie and told me a donor match had been found for her son. Frank had a bone marrow transplant in November the same year."
The Tamihere family with Mikaera (centre). Photo/Supplied
Since that time the pair have kept in touch but their journeys have been very different.
"I was sitting here the other day thinking it's the three-year anniversary of Frank's bone marrow transplant which means Mikaera was at about the same milestone," Mead said.
Frank is having six-monthly check-ups, is medication-free and has started school.
"If people don't know the journey he has been on, they definitely wouldn't guess it by looking at him."
In contrast Mikaera is back at Starship undergoing six weeks of oxygen therapy at the Devonport naval base. He has had one hip replaced (due to his steroid use) and it is hoped the oxygen therapy will delay the need for a second hip and two shoulder replacements.
"Mikaera is one of the youngest having to have the therapy but, at the same time, he is almost an old head at Starship. Almost every day new faces show up at the hospital at the start of their own journeys and Mikaera and the Tamihere family are a shoulder to lean on for many.
"Every two weeks the family travel from Kawerau back to Starship for appointments and treatment. Since 2014 Mikaera's sister Ocean has helped take care of the youngest sibling Te Ahurei at Ronald McDonald House, leaving Makere to be by her son's side.
"Mikaera's dad Shane stays back in Kawerau working long hours and travelling to Auckland when he can. This takes its toll, both financially and emotionally."
Wondering what she could do to help, Meads has set up a Givealittle page entitled Let's make this a Meri Kirihimete for the Tamihere whanau.
"This is a family who helped us through our journey with their big smiles and huge hearts and I want to be able to say thanks and to make sure they enjoy Christmas this year. My heart aches that the road remains so bumpy on their journey.
"I want people to know that even by doing something small, they can make a huge difference in the life of one family who has already been through so much."
