Molly's Story: Finding Strength Today and Hope for Tomorrow
When Molly first arrived at the hospital, her tiny baby girl was fighting for life in the neonatal unit. Surrounded by monitors and medical equipment, she sat quietly beside the incubator, exhausted and afraid.
Like many parents in that ward, Molly was living hour by hour, unsure what the next day would bring. But beneath the fear, she was also carrying a deep sense of guilt and worry about the future.
That's when Rosemary, from the chaplaincy team, came alongside her - offering gentle conversation, care, and reassurance when life felt overwhelming. Through gentle, unhurried conversations, Molly shared her story — that she had been struggling with addiction and desperately wanted to change. She wanted to build a better life for her children, but she didn’t know where to start.
Rosemary didn’t come with answers or advice. She came with presence — someone who would simply sit beside her, listen without judgment, and remind her she wasn’t alone.
Rosemary recalls the conversations she shared with Molly:
“Sometimes we just talked about the small things. Other times, we talked about her hopes for the future. You could see her slowly begin to believe that change was possible.”
Each day brought small steps forward. Molly’s baby began to grow stronger, and so did she. She smiled more often, and her confidence started to return.
“One day I said to her, ‘You’ve changed so much since I first met you.
You look ready to go home and begin a new chapter,’” says Rosemary.
“She smiled, gave me a hug, and said, ‘Thank you so much for your support.’”
For Rosemary, and for all hospital chaplains across Aotearoa, these are the moments that matter most — when someone who arrived full of fear leaves with a little more hope.
This care is only possible because of kind people who choose to give.
Your donation today will help ensure more families like Molly’s receive the comfort and encouragement they need this Christmas.
Give hope this Christmas and help make more stories like Molly’s possible.
Here's how your gift can help share strength today and hope for tomorrow
$25 could help bring a hospital chaplain’s comforting presence to a family in crisis this Christmas — reminding them they’re not alone.
$50 helps ensure chaplains can walk alongside patients, parents, and staff through the challenges of the Christmas season, offering care, prayer, and hope.
$100 strengthens the chaplaincy presence across hospital wards this Christmas — so more people can experience comfort and encouragement when they need it most.
SUPPORTER VOICES
“As a Staff Nurse working on a very busy medical ward, I found the services of a hospital chaplain to be absolutely essential to provide support, companionship and spiritual help at times of great vulnerability for patients and their families.”
Sue B
P: 0800 246 7242
PO Box 11211, Manners Street,
Wellington 6142
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Our Charity Commission Registration Number is CC21346.