Help support families facing the unimaginable
When Vanessa found out she was pregnant, she knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy. But she never imagined just how terrifying it would become.
Noël was Vanessa’s miracle baby—conceived through IVF after years of hope and heartache. From the very beginning, doctors warned her that he might not survive. But she held onto hope.
Then, at just 26 weeks pregnant, Vanessa’s world turned upside down. She was rushed from her home in Palmerston North to Wellington Hospital with severe pre-eclampsia. Doctors told her she was at risk of a stroke and that her baby’s life was in danger. Just days later, her condition worsened. The medical team made the urgent decision to deliver Noël via emergency caesarean.
Weighing only 634 grams, he was fragile and vulnerable, fighting for every breath in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Vanessa remained in hospital for several weeks after Noël’s birth. Meanwhile, Noël spent nearly two and a half months in Wellington Hospital growing strong enough to be transferred back home to Palmerston North.
Facing it alone - until you stepped in
Throughout it all, Vanessa faced much of this terrifying journey alone. Her partner was back home caring for her mother, who had dementia, meaning he couldn’t be by her side often. The days were long, exhausting, and overwhelming.
“I was aware of babies that didn’t survive. That was my biggest fear—that Noël wouldn’t make it.”
But thanks to kind-hearted people like you, Vanessa wasn’t truly alone.
A lifeline in the darkest moments
That’s when Chaplain Wendy came into Vanessa’s life. At first, Vanessa wasn’t sure what to expect—she feared religious pressure at a time when she was already overwhelmed. But Wendy offered something entirely different. Instead of expectations or pressure, she offered a listening ear, a comforting presence, and a safe space to breathe.
“It’s very tough when you’re facing the unknown,” Vanessa recalls. “A normal day-to-day life doesn’t include dealing with life and death stuff. Wendy helped me cope with that.”
During her long hospital stay, Wendy became Vanessa’s greatest source of support. Some days, they talked about grief, fear, and hope. Other days, they talked about everyday things—like chickens! On one particularly tough day, Wendy showed up with a simple chia seed pudding from the café. A small act of kindness that meant everything.
“She gave me the space I needed to ground myself and feel like I was ‘just a normal mum.’”
A safe space for families in crisis
For so many parents like Vanessa, the hospital can feel isolating. Medical teams focus on physical health, but the emotional and spiritual toll can be just as overwhelming.
That’s where your generosity makes all the difference.
Chaplains provide more than just religious support—they offer a compassionate presence, a listening ear, and a source of strength during the hardest moments of life.
As Vanessa puts it:
“Many people think chaplains are only there for people of faith, but that’s not the case. It’s a service of humanity and connection, and it’s vital. Just knowing someone is there makes all the difference.”
Will you help be there for the next family in need?
Your compassion makes support like this possible. Without generous Kiwis like you, families facing the unimaginable would have to go through it alone.
Your donation today will ensure chaplains like Wendy can continue to provide comfort, support, and hope to families when they need it most.
Here's what your gift can do:
$25 could provide a chaplain’s visit to a mother facing a premature birth alone.
$50 could support a patient’s family as they navigate an uncertain future.
$100 could ensure chaplains are available when families need them most—whether for a quiet conversation, a comforting presence, or a moment of hope.
$250 could provide ongoing emotional support for parents navigating the fear and uncertainty of the NICU.
$500 or more could help sustain chaplaincy services year-round, providing emotional and spiritual care to patients and whānau facing life's most difficult challenges.
Today, Noël is a happy and healthy little boy. But Vanessa will never forget those long, uncertain weeks in the NICU—or the support she received from Wendy, made possible by generous people like you.
Please, give today to ensure that chaplains are there for the next family who needs them.
Vanessa and Noël with Wendy almost two years after Noël was born.
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