True Colours, Children's Health Trust
When Melissa and Richard McBride finally found True Colours Children’s Health Trust, they felt an enormous weight lifted. Their son Oliver was diagnosed with epilepsy at three and, Melissa says, finding True Colours was a game-changer.
“After a couple of years of trying to navigate Oliver’s condition ourselves, and not knowing what we didn’t know, we were put in touch with True Colours. It was just amazing – suddenly having someone who was on our team.”
Melissa McBride
Melissa McBride
We support families to keep standing
True Colours Children’s Health Trust was founded by Dr Cynthia Ward in 2004 to make sure Waikato children with serious health conditions, and their families, have access to nursing support care and counselling. The Trust works with about 250 families, spread across the wider Waikato, from Taumarunui up to Meremere and across the Coromandel Peninsula.
True Colours supports the whole family – the child with the chronic, lifelong, or terminal condition, their bewildered siblings, and terrified parents and caregivers.
Serious conditions separate families for long periods of time
While one parent is in hospital, the other will often work and care for the rest of the family. Cynthia is a former paediatric palliative care specialist nurse. She says when your child becomes seriously unwell, it can be a very lonely time marked by constant fear and stress. And, even when there are happy endings, families still harbour a fear of relapse that comes back into view every time the child develops a persistent cough or a sore leg.
“When you get a diagnosis of cancer, you live with cancer for ever.”
Dr. Cynthia Ward
Empowering children facing serious health challenges
Psychotherapist Stephen Parkinson loves music – and so do most of his clients. He and the kids can often be found making an absolute racket in the music room.
“It’s a time for kids to express themselves, and they don’t have to always do that verbally, of course. Maybe they’ve been hurt by the condition they have or treatments, maybe they’ve been scared by things.”
Stephen Parkinson,
Psychotherapist, True Colours
A natural way to re-engage
Stephen turns on a spray of LED lighting along one wall, sets the children up on electric drums, the keyboard, the ukulele, or countless other instruments, and tells them to be as loud as they want.
“If they can make a lot of noise and feel powerful, that’s a natural way for them to re-engage with being resilient again and just feel that they’ve got some power in themselves, making noise is just always good therapy.”
Stephen Parkinson,
Psychotherapist, True Colours
Dr Cynthia Ward, founder of True Colours Children’s Health Trust, says:
“We’re incredibly grateful to Trinity Lands… to be able to get these funds to help support families going through tough times.”
Stephen Parkinson
Serious conditions separate families for long periods of time
True Colours has operating costs of around $700,000 each year and is fully community-funded. It serves children aged up to 18, and also supports bereaved families who find themselves transitioning to a life beyond their child’s death. True Colours has nine staff and has a policy of not running a waiting list – every patient and their family is accepted and begins work with the Trust as soon as they are referred.
Trinity Lands has donated $65,000 to True Colours since 2021.
Melissa says the support provided by True Colours is invaluable.
“We are so grateful that we have the opportunity to work with this place.”
Melissa McBride
