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“The greatest treasure”

I attended an unveiling in the weekend of a child that True Colours had supported. The presence of Aroha and Wairura were strong as we remembered this child’s life and the inspiration that continues to influence us as we take time to reflect.The family/whanau came together to support one another in this intense time of grief and I am reminded of the fragility of life and how quickly it passes for some. It is so easy to get caught into the busyness of each day, worrying about the everyday thing...

Children require honesty

Family centred care is essential when caring for a sick child. The impact of illness touches everyone therefore the family is the unit of care rather than the child being separated out without consideration of the whole family. It is important to remember that parents should be recognized as being experts as far as their child’s needs are concerned acknowledging that they know their child the best. It is also important to remember that they also carry the burden of both the illness and the dec...

The many friends of True Colours

I am inspired by the “Friends of True Colours”, a group of people that are committed to raising funds for True Colours and to profile the organisation. Diane O’Sullivan set the group up initially and was coordinator until this year; she has now handed this role over to Amanda Graham but will continue to be an active member of Friends of True Colours. We totally appreciate this group and their dedication to fundraise so that the essential service for seriously ill children, young people and...

Committed to best practice

As I continue to think about what is important for children and young people particularly in regard to serious illness I endeavour to stay within the philosophy of True Colours which is “listening to the voice of children and young people honouring their rights and wishes”. This guides my own personal practice of making a difference for those who live with serious illness. With this in mind I look for the opportunities to improve quality of life for children and young people. I am currently ...

Therapeutic space complete thanks to Paul Newman Own Foundation

We are well and truly into the New Year and enjoying the reconnections with families, health professionals, sponsors and businesses. I hope there was opportunity for everyone to enjoy some time with family, friends and enjoy the sunshine somewhere. The exciting news for True Colours is that we have finally got the downstairs therapeutic spaces finished after receiving the donation from Paul Newman’s Own Foundation to make downstairs a more therapeutic space. It has been wonderful to use it mor...

A time to reflect

The year is drawing to a close and it is timely to reflect back and remember the different connections we have had with others throughout the year. The True Colours team has met with many seriously ill children and their families who have been touched by grief, sadness, fear and exhaustion. We have celebrated the hope and optimism that is inspiring; we have seen what true resiliency is in the face of adversity as families teach us about courage as they support their children through illness. We ...

Feeling the fear

Stephen and I ran a health professionals training day on 14th December at Waikato hospital Bryant Education Centre. The topic of the day was; “When you feel the fear and have to do it anyway”. The child’s, families and health professionals perspectives were covered. Children often inform us that they have “sick feeling in my tummy” and it is essential that we recognize and attend to their fear. The reality of fear for sick children and their families was acknowledged. Dr Jik Loy (Child...

Presenting what we learn from children and families

Stephen Parkinson and I presented at the Paediatric Society Conference held in Hamilton on 25th November. We presented – ‘Head & Heart: Psychological and Spiritual Issues for Children – the Quality of Being with Seriously Ill Children’. Psychological and spiritual aspects of care are often given lip service but not understood. This was explored within the presentation with the use of case studies to highlight the needs of children when living with a life-threatening illness. We then pres...

“When the heart keeps beating”

Last week I attended the Palliative Care Nurses New Zealand national conference in Wellington. The theme of the conference was – ‘United we stand – Strengthening the Links’. The Hon Tariana Turia – Associate Minister of Health gave the opening address. In her speech she spoke of an integrated approach and collaboration of services in the care of patients requiring palliative care. This would assist in cost effectiveness of resources and allow for seamless care. She endorsed the work of...

A true community organisation

10 November 2009True Colours Charitable Trust was set up in 2004 to meet the needs of seriously ill children, young people and their families. The vision was that this would be a community organisation and that the community would benefit from having specialist nursing and psychological support to meet the needs of this population group. After being operational for five years True Colours has supported 577 families, supporting between 120 – 130 sick children/young people and their families at ...