Ataahua - always has a smile ... she is adorable ...
It always amazes me when someone who is less fortunate than us needs something to ease suffering just how resourceful, loving and giving a community can become.
This has been highlighted just recently when the community I live in rallied around a little girl named Ataahua who is in need of a portable breathing machine so she can live a relatively normal life.
I guess to most of us something like breathing is something we don't really think about in our everyday lives so when you are confronted with an issue like Ataahua's basic need being as simple as a minimal amount of money in today's world so she can go on a simple outing with her family - well for me anyway, I want to do whatever I can to help and so do a lot of others in the community.
Ataahua needs a portable oxygen machine which there is currently no public funding available. Members of the community are donating items they don't use (new and second hand) to be raffled or auctioned, organising sports and social fund raising evenings. The list is endless really and so far within a week over $1000 of the $5000 for the machine has been raised.
This has been highlighted just recently when the community I live in rallied around a little girl named Ataahua who is in need of a portable breathing machine so she can live a relatively normal life.
I guess to most of us something like breathing is something we don't really think about in our everyday lives so when you are confronted with an issue like Ataahua's basic need being as simple as a minimal amount of money in today's world so she can go on a simple outing with her family - well for me anyway, I want to do whatever I can to help and so do a lot of others in the community.
Ataahua needs a portable oxygen machine which there is currently no public funding available. Members of the community are donating items they don't use (new and second hand) to be raffled or auctioned, organising sports and social fund raising evenings. The list is endless really and so far within a week over $1000 of the $5000 for the machine has been raised.
Ataahua playing with whanau (family) members at her home in Wainuiomata, New Zealand
Ataahua Harris-Timoti was born on 23 February 2013 in New Zealand at Middlemore Hospital, Auckland. She weighed 1.695 kgs and was 4 weeks premature :) She spent the first two weeks of her life in Special Care Unit before finally going home.
She was whangai'd (fostered) to her Aunty and Uncle - Krystal and Warren Nikara (who are now her mama & papa) when she was 4 months old. They picked her up from Auckland and brought her home to live in Wellington. Ataahua is one of eleven children that Krystal and her husband have in their care - nine of whom are whangai children (fostered). Ataahua birth parents are Addie Harris & Marcus Timoti and she is the youngest of 11 children.
Ataahua has a Chronic Lung disease called. BRONCHIECTASIS (severely damaged lungs & airways) and she has spent nearly two years on many forms of oxygen. As she progresses she will require less assisted oxygen with doses being increased if she gets a cold or an infection that affects her lungs. She is the first baby to be trialled on higher doses of High Flo Oxygen and extremely high levels of High Flo in New Zealand. Ataahua is currently on Low Flo oxygen 24 hours a day :)
She was discharged from Lower Hutt Hospital (after 10months in hospital) and was sent home with regular visits from the Community Nurse, Child Development Specialist, Speech and Language Therapist and Dietician to help her reach different milestones like eating, crawling, walking and speech.
She was whangai'd (fostered) to her Aunty and Uncle - Krystal and Warren Nikara (who are now her mama & papa) when she was 4 months old. They picked her up from Auckland and brought her home to live in Wellington. Ataahua is one of eleven children that Krystal and her husband have in their care - nine of whom are whangai children (fostered). Ataahua birth parents are Addie Harris & Marcus Timoti and she is the youngest of 11 children.
Ataahua has a Chronic Lung disease called. BRONCHIECTASIS (severely damaged lungs & airways) and she has spent nearly two years on many forms of oxygen. As she progresses she will require less assisted oxygen with doses being increased if she gets a cold or an infection that affects her lungs. She is the first baby to be trialled on higher doses of High Flo Oxygen and extremely high levels of High Flo in New Zealand. Ataahua is currently on Low Flo oxygen 24 hours a day :)
She was discharged from Lower Hutt Hospital (after 10months in hospital) and was sent home with regular visits from the Community Nurse, Child Development Specialist, Speech and Language Therapist and Dietician to help her reach different milestones like eating, crawling, walking and speech.
CLICK HERE: To assist with fundraising for Ataahua so she can have a portable oxygen machine.
CLICK HERE: To join her official face book page
"Ataahua's journey"
 Ataahua with her God Mother Rebekah on the front cover of our local newspaper - Wainuiomata News |  Local businesses donating items to be raffled |  Members of the community donating items no longer required to be auctioned |
The following acknowledgements have been taken from Ataahua's official face book page.
First of all thanks to my amazing whanau (family) and everyone who keeps me in their prayers :)
A massive shout out to everyone that continue to support us.
Ronald McDonald House Auckland - For giving the family somewhere to stay while they cared for me at Starship Hospital
Starship Childrens Hospital - especially the staff in PICU who looked after me for 4 months
Kokiri Marae Social Services - For the continued support
CYFS Lower Hutt & Papakura - For providing my family with the necessities needed to care for me
Wellington Hospital - For taking good care of me during my many stays
Lower Hutt Hospital - For continuing to help me grow and develop
Hannah - Speech & Language Therapist
Kim & Karla - Doctors
Jean - Development
Tania - Dietician
First of all thanks to my amazing whanau (family) and everyone who keeps me in their prayers :)
A massive shout out to everyone that continue to support us.
Ronald McDonald House Auckland - For giving the family somewhere to stay while they cared for me at Starship Hospital
Starship Childrens Hospital - especially the staff in PICU who looked after me for 4 months
Kokiri Marae Social Services - For the continued support
CYFS Lower Hutt & Papakura - For providing my family with the necessities needed to care for me
Wellington Hospital - For taking good care of me during my many stays
Lower Hutt Hospital - For continuing to help me grow and develop
Hannah - Speech & Language Therapist
Kim & Karla - Doctors
Jean - Development
Tania - Dietician
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