View the updates in your region by clicking on the drop-downs below.
Welcome to 2025 from the Auckland/Northland Team and a happy new year!
The Auckland/Northland team—Tim, Natasha, Annette, and Sharon—are pleased to welcome you to 2025! As we reflect on the close of 2024, we loved connecting with many of you and celebrating the festive season through Christmas gatherings across the region from Kaitaia to Pukekohe.
We’re proud to offer a wide range of support groups in Auckland, including Orewa, Takapuna, Epsom, Henderson, Manukau, Howick, and Pukekohe, along with a dedicated Auckland Myeloma group. Across Northland, we host groups in Whangarei, Dargaville, Kerikeri, and Kaitaia.
We’re also pleased to announce the return of our Waiheke Island Group after many years! If you know anyone who might benefit from this or any other group, please feel free to forward this email to them.
Each group has its own mailing list. You’re welcome to join more than one, and if you’d like to adjust your subscriptions, you can opt out via the link at the bottom of our invitations or contact us directly.
In Auckland, we run age-specific groups such as our Adolescent/Young Adult Group and Kids’ Clubs:
Both clubs offer in-person and online sessions facilitated by a play therapist, combining therapeutic benefits with fun, engaging activities.
In 2025, we’ll continue running our special groups in Auckland, including:
We’re also partnering with Look Good Feel Better to host a women’s makeup and skincare session in the first half of the year. If you’re interested in any of these groups or events, let us know so we can send you an invitation.
We are aware that some of you will be dealing with significant challenges so please remember that we are available for one-to-one support, providing a listening ear and practical assistance.
Take care and please reach out as you need.
Tim Maifeleni 021 823 178 TimM@leukaemia.org.nz
Natasha Donovan 027 523 1728 NatashaD@leukaemia.org.nz
Annette Cody 027 523 1726 AnnetteC@leukaemia.org.nz
Sharon Verrall 021 523 176 SharonV@leukaemia.org.nz
If we are not available, please call head office on 0800 151015, during business hours.
Welcome to 2025 from the Midlands Team, Sean and Tina. Happy new year!
Our Hamilton office is a great multi-use space where we facilitate our Hamilton Haematology patient group and our Kids’ Club, as well as meet with patients and whanau face to face.
Sean and Tina both work full-time Monday to Friday and are based in our Hamilton office. They both support patients from Hamilton and travel and support the various Midland regions. This year Sean will continue groups in Rotorua, Taupo, Gisborne, as well as Hamilton. He is also re-starting a patient haematology group in Tokoroa, so if you live in that area, watch this space!
Tina supports patients from Hamilton along with those from Tauranga and Whakatane and she travels to these regions regularly to host support groups and connect with people and health care providers. She also travels to the Thames/Coromandel/Whitianga area and is pleased to be re-establishing a support group in Thames in 2025, as well as developing connections with the local community.
Sean and Tina visit Waikato hospital on a regular basis to provide support. When travelling to the other towns/cities in the region we pop into the different Cancer Centres to connect with the health professionals and any patients who are there at the time.
We are aware that some of you will be dealing with significant challenges so please remember that we are available for one-to-one support, providing a listening ear and practical assistance.
Take care and please reach out as you need.
Sean Reeves 027 245 0933, SeanR@leukaemia.org.nz
Tina Stewart 027 609 4409, TinaS@leukaemia.org.nz
If we are not available, please call head office on 0800 151015, during business hours.
Kia ora everyone,
Welcome to 2025, we hope the year has started well! We are really looking forward to connecting with you and have been busy in the Wellington office planning support groups, hospital visits, and travel to the Central regions.
We welcome you to join one of the many support groups we host in Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Whanganui, Palmerston North, Wairarapa, Kapiti, Hutt Valley or Wellington.
We are looking forward to Kids’ Club 2025, our monthly play therapy group for children who have a loved one living with a blood cancer. We have new hoodies to present to the kids!
We are aware that some of you will be dealing with significant challenges so please remember that we are available for one-to-one support, providing a listening ear and practical assistance.
Take care and please reach out as you need.
Sally Black 021 523 174 SallyB@leukaemia.org.nz
Nicki Roy 027 318 5407 NickiR@leukaemia.org.nz
Melody Bevan 027 333 7026 MelodyB@leukaemia.org.nz
If we are not available, please call head office on 0800 151015, during business hours.
Happy New Year from the Upper Southern area. We finished 2024 with some wonderful Christmas Support Groups in the main centres. We’ve seen growing numbers attending our groups and we are looking forward to them starting up again in February.
Kate will continue to travel every 2 months to Greymouth and see the West Coast patients either in clinic or for home visits. She also travels to Timaru and Ashburton to run Support Groups every 2 months.
Helen facilitates support groups in Nelson and Blenheim every two months, as well as a support group in North Canterbury, which is held in Rangiora.
We are looking forward to Kids’ Club 2025, our monthly play therapy group for children who have a loved one living with a blood cancer. We have new hoodies to present to the kids!
In February we will host an End of Treatment workshop – a collaboration with the nurse specialists at the hospital to help patients find their new normal after completing intensive treatment.
Last year we helped coordinate the enhancement on Ward B6 with the murals depicting the South Island landmarks and the Fishtank in the lounge area. The Day Ward and AYA space are next in line for some enhancements.
We held the first Shine for a Cure event at Hagley Park last September, thank you to those who attended. It was a great success with planning underway for the event to happen again this year.
We welcome to LBC Hannah Reed, the new Business Development Manager for the Southern region, who will be based in Christchurch. You will see her at some of the events happening during the year.
We are aware that some of you will be dealing with significant challenges so please remember that we are available for one-to-one support, providing a listening ear and practical assistance.
Take care and please reach out as you need.
Kate McHardy 027 523 1729 KateM@leukaemia.org.nz
Helen McDermott 021 523 173 HelenM@leukaemia.org.nz.
If we are not available, please call head office on 0800 151015, during business hours
Welcome to 2025, I hope the year has started well and you are enjoying the varied weather we are having this summer.
I am really looking forward to connecting with you this year and have been busy in the Dunedin office planning support groups, hospital visits, and travel around the lower South Island.
Support groups for this region are up and running and if you are not already attending one locally and would like to do so, then please contact me. There are regular groups in Dunedin, Invercargill, Central Otago and Oamaru.
I am aware that some of you will be dealing with significant challenges so please remember that I am available for one-to-one support, providing a listening ear and practical assistance.
Take care and please reach out as you need.
Deborah Tomlin 027 609 4107 DeborahT@leukaemia.org.nz
If we are not available, please call head office on 0800 151015, during business hours.