From Hardship to Hope

Helping families in some of the most stressful times of their lives is at the core of the From Hardship to Hope Kids Health Fund. The fund is run by the Taranaki Health Foundation and Tamarind recently became the major sponsor of this initiative.

​​This new emergency fund has been developed to aid patients and families who are experiencing financial hardship because of acute medical journeys they face. There is a genuine need to support Taranaki families who for no fault of their own find themselves under enormous pressure and stress because their family members are seriously ill. 

Examples of the additional stress families find themselves under when their kids are sick includes: parents having to take leave without pay, working families who have little or no contingency funds if an acute illness occurs, rural families who need help with travel costs to and from hospitals, increased childcare costs (for siblings), patients who require out of town care (especially mothers requiring antenatal hospitalisation) and many others.

The New Zealand team has been involved with previous Taranaki Health Foundation projects such as the Mobility Garden and the 'We Heart Taranaki' Campaign. So, it was a great fit to continue our relationship by supporting From Hardship to Hope.

The fund not only supports families with petrol and food costs during times of illness, but it also supports safe sleeping for babies by supplying life-saving Pēpi Pods to at-risk families. A portion of the fund also goes towards small projects in the child/maternal health wards of the hospital that benefit children who are accessing these services.

We are happy to be supporting an initiative that touches so many families in the region. Read more about our involvement with the Taranaki Health Foundation here. And if you'd like to contribute to any of the projects run by the Taranaki Health Foundation, visit their website to learn more about them.

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