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East and Bays Courier : May 17th 2013
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Friday, May 17, 2013 NETWORK Unbeatable coverage of readers 15+ 808,000 Auckland's most powerful media Ph 09 525 0666 Source: Nielsen CMI Q3 2011--Q2 2012 TODAY E-EDITION Life s work Song bird Off Pat Hear & Far ONLINE Inspector Willie Taylor has helped see Kiwis through some tough times. He's being officially recognised for his efforts -- P3 Meet the Pt England mum who's making it in the music business --P8 Read Pat Booth's thoughts on high-speed car chases. Go to eastandbayscourier. co.nz and click on Local Blogs. Go online to eastandbayscourier. co.nz and click on Latest Edition for your chance to win tickets to see the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra concert Hear & Far at Auckland Town Hall. A ticket to hope Still smiling: Greer Haddock's positive attitude has seen her through leukaemia and out the other side. Photo: JASON OXENHAM By LAUREN PRIESTLEY Go to eastandbayscourier.co.nz and click on Latest Edition to watch a video about Cure Kids. It's every parent's worst nightmare. You just can't quite believe you're in that situation. -- Karlene Haddock GREER'S family found it hard to see the silver lining when she was diagnosed with leukaemia as a toddler. The 11-year-old Meadow- bank girl returned this week from a Cure Kids trip to Australia to celebrate the fact she is now in the clear. Her mother Karlene Had- dock says the family can breathe a sigh of relief. It's every parent's worst nightmare to be faced with that. You just can't quite believe you're in that situ- ation.'' Greer was just 3 when she was hospitalised after faint- ing at preschool. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leu- kaemia and had almost three years of aggressive daily chemotherapy to shake the disease. Five years on and she has finally come out of remission. Mrs Haddock says Greer's positive attitude carried the family through -- and that's the silver lining they were waiting for. It's amazing the way children can be so ill but there is still such a drive to have fun that they manage to overcome the discomfort. It's like if they get through it, come out the other side and then get a graze on their knee -- it's just nothing to them. She's so mentally tough and that's the positive thing that you take away from all of this.'' The experience has brought the family of four closer and taught it to make the most of every day together, she says. Last weekend's trip to the Gold Coast meant reliving positive as well as painful memories. Greer's initial diagnosis came immediately after a blissful and carefree'' family holiday on the Gold Coast. We came back and our world changed quite dra- matically. To go back there after Greer has gone through it all and to see her so happy brought back lots of memor- ies for me.'' Greer started her first year at Baradene College this year and has thrown herself into everything the school has to offer. She has also been helping raise awareness of leu- kaemia as a Cure Kids ambassador for several years. Greer says Cure Kids means she belongs to some- thing bigger than herself. I love it. It just gives me a chance to be around other kids that aren't normal, just like me. They understand.'' Cure Kids chief executive Vicki Lee says helping chil- dren is the reason for the organisation's existence. The rate of remission in acute lymphoblastic leu- kaemia is now higher than 90 per cent and still rising thanks to research funded by Cure Kids. It's about improving chil- dren's quality of life and prolonging life while we go for the big goal: The cure.'' The Australia trip came from the organisation's Tic- ket to Hope programme to give teens living with life- threatening illnesses and their caregivers a weekend of adventure. The young people visited theme parks and were treated like celebrities dur- ing their three-night stay. Ms Lee says it is an abso- lute privilege to see the impact of the holiday on the ambassadors. That whole weekend most of those kids just didn't stop smiling. Especially when you know what they've been through, it's pretty special stuff to see.'' Go to curekids.org.nz to donate or for more information. Need a website & don't have one? 66% of customers research online before making a purchase.* Let the East & Bays Courier create one for you at a super low cost! slide show map profile contact details www.roomoutsidelandscapes.co.nz Contact your representative for a demo. *Source: MYOB Study 2010-2011 www.eastandbayscourier.co.nz Phone 09 633 1974 Fax 09 633 1958
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