Friendship Autumn 2018 Giving is the best medicine “Thank you for saving my baby’s life...” P8 Introducing our new A word from our new In this CEO, Aisha Daji Punga. Chief Executive, Aisha... edition: A few short weeks ago we welcomed our outstanding new Chief Dear Friend, Page Executive into the Starship Foundation family. I’m so glad to be able to say hello to you for the first Introducing our new CEO, Aisha Daji Punga has more than 20 years’ FMCG and time as the new Chief Executive of this wonderful Aisha Daji Punga. 2 telecommunications experience in global commercial development, Foundation. Starship is a true treasure for all New marketing strategy, new ventures and strategic planning. Zealanders, and for every one of our children. spearheading A word from our new an effort of an But Aisha brings much more than business acumen and senior What I have experienced in my first few weeks has Chief Executive, Aisha... 3 accelerated been a real sense of family. A family within the management experience to the Starship Foundation. She is a impact for our passionate advocate of children’s health and wellbeing, demonstrated hospital, the patients and families, the Foundation, Could you run for their Kiwi kids. Our by her volunteering her time over the last 12 years with the Life donors and sponsors – all with a passion to help us lives? 4 aspiration is to raise $20 million annually by 2023 better the lives of our Kiwi kids faster. Some of the Education Trust, and more recently mentoring at the Akina Foundation towards high priority health and wellbeing areas. and being involved with Ko Awatea and the South Auckland Health key highlights have been meeting two inspirational “Our little warrior.” 5 Equities campaign. kids, DJ and Jayden. Another highlight was sharing We will continue with our investment in latest experiences with Heather, who has been supporting advances in medical technology, better facilities, Starship champions. 6 - 7 Aisha embodies all of the qualities we were looking for in our search the Foundation, and nurse scholarships, for almost best people, training and development. But in line for a new Chief Executive: leadership, vision, inspiration, and an 10 years. And of course I can’t forget meeting and with global best practice we are increasing our “Thank you for saving my enormous compassion for all New Zealand’s children. being inspired by the amazing work of our clinicians, efforts to invest in research and innovation targeting baby’s life...” 8 - 9 I am looking forward to supporting Aisha through the ambitious nurses and all staff. an additional $5 million per annum. programme of development Making new treatments All of these wonderful experiences have provided As one of our greatest supporters and champions, that we have before us, possible. 10 - 11 me with great encouragement as I take on the I know that you’ll be there with us, as we push significantly growing our mandate to improve the health outcomes for our ahead looking for new and innovative ways to break funds for Starship. I am Thank you ASB. 12 children. The ambition is to give all Kiwi kids the through. I am really looking forward to working with sure you will join me in best chance of tomorrow, today. Of the 40 richest you and keeping you informed of our progress every welcoming Aisha into our Thank you New World. 13 countries, New Zealand is ranked 38 out of 40 for step of the way. wonderful Starship family. good health and well-being of children. This is why With my warmest regards, You’re invited. 14 both Starship and the Foundation has a renewed Regards, sense of urgency. Extra special gift... 15 Martin Wiseman Together with our trustees and Starship Chair, Starship Foundation management, Dr John Beca, Dr Mike Shepherd, Aisha Sarah Little and Emma Maddren, we are Aisha with Directors of Starship Child Health, Dr Mike Shepherd and Dr John Beca. Pictured: Aisha with Starship patient Jayden. 2 We love hearing from you. Please phone us on 0800 STARSHIP To make a secure donation online, please visit 3 (0800 782 774) to make a donation. www.starship.org.nz/donate Could you run for their lives? “Our little warrior.” Run alongside everyone who believes Starship kids are worth fighting for! On the morning of August 1st 2015 I Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned-roadster, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Olive we would love you to join us at the 2018 ASB Auckland Marama. I had a healthy pregnancy, a Marathon, and become a superhero for Starship kids. natural labour and everything seemed Starship mum, Tracy Nicholls ran in last year’s ASB perfect. But five hours after Olive was born she Chelsie and the team who Auckland Marathon and she’s already signed up to run ran for Olive at Round the had a seizure. And she continued to seize every Bays this year. again this October. “It is not an understatement to say few hours. Starship saved both my babies’ lives. And for this I will always be thankful!” Because of her abnormal brain activity we were told she would almost certainly be profoundly Running for Starship is Tracy’s way of ‘giving back’, and disabled, and quite likely not survive beyond she finds that running for Starship helps her on several Olive thriving at home. two years-old. We were devastated, but we accepted levels. this worst case scenario, knowing we would love Without the world class care and facilities at “Pounding the pavement is a way to get away from the our girl however she was. We made the choice to Starship, our story would have likely unfolded everyday stuff for a little while. It keeps me active. And fully believe in her ability to heal and thrive. with a much less happy outcome. We will be it raises money for Starship,” she says. “It’s incredibly forever grateful to Starship in the most profound rewarding to be able to give back to an organisation After long months of testing and investigation, way. that saved both of my children and continues to care Olive’s doctors discovered the root of her epilepsy - for our daughter.” a rare and relatively unknown genetic mutation Olive’s mum, Chelsie. Each year kind-hearted Kiwis like Tracy participate in or of the KCNQ2 gene. It has been a rollercoaster organise unique fundraising events, big and small, in of medications and hospital visits since, but as That’s why Chelsie and her family joined the Starship Tracy with her family. their communities to help Starship families. of this January, at two and a half, Olive is off Round the Bays team this year. And why they give a regular monthly donation to Starship by direct If you’d like to hear more about joining Team medication and seizure free for the first time since she was one day old. credit. To help those families still in the trenches, so Starship in the 2018 Auckland Marathon, please that Starship can continue to change their lives by don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Her development is now 100% on par with her offering the same top level of care Olive received. Community Fundraising Executive, peers. At our last appointment, her neurologist Charlotte Bennett on 09 307 8949. Join Chelsie and become a regular giver today. used the word “miracle” several times. Get in touch with Jodie Queenin if you’d like to hear more at [email protected] If you would like to hold your own fundraising event for Starship, To find out more about donating monthly, please call Jodie on 4 5 contact Charlotte on [email protected] 0800 STARSHIP or 09 375 3445. Starship Champions! And our runners up are... Meet some amazing Starship staff who go above and beyond Grace Harris: Diabetes Nurse Specialist Chanel Prestidge: Paediatric Consultant, for sick and injured children... Grace has been helping Renal Services Chanel joined Starship Our Five Star Partner Barfoot & Thompson has been then choosing one winner was a very difficult task children through the Hospital in 2011 and absolutely incredible over the last 15 years. Not just indeed.” challenges of young life specialises in looking because they’ve raised $2.5 million for Starship, We received some truly heart-warming feedback with diabetes for 29 years. after children who but also because they’re always looking for new and personal stories about the wonderful work of On top of her day job she have serious kidney and innovative ways to acknowledge the amazing the 153 people nominated. We’d love to share it also volunteers for a wide problems, particularly Starship staff for their hard work. all with you, but unfortunately we only have room range of camps and trips those whose kidneys That’s why they decided to find a Starship Champion for our top five, who you can read about below and run by Diabetes Youth are failing, and who to send on a trip to the Commonwealth Games overleaf. Congratulations to them all! And thank you Auckland. She loves being need dialysis or a on the Gold Coast in April this year. They asked Barfoot & Thompson! part of the journey of kidney transplant. the public, patients, families and Starship Hospital families with whom she Described as ‘an staff to nominate the Starship employees who they Our grand prize winner! works, often staying in absolute blessing’ by believed had gone the extra mile for sick and injured touch with her young patients as they grow up, find one of her transplant families, Chanel often works with children and their families.