20 August 2024
- MEDIA RELEASE -
Twelve months ago the hallways of Kārohirohi, Harbour Hospice's North Shore Inpatient Unit, were filled with the sound of waiata. The singing came from Room 10 where one of its younger patients, 44-year-old Jasmine McIver, was being cared for with her whānau around her.
At this year’s Vintners’ Brunch - the charity's largest annual fundraiser, held on 18 August at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland - Jasmine’s father, Ken McIver, spoke as guest speaker about the family’s experience of hospice. He described the exceptional care his kōtiro and whānau received: The way the family was supported to tend to Jasmine’s daily needs, sleep alongside her so she was never left alone, and share karakia, waiata and kai together.
Jasmine was Ken and wife Patsy’s second daughter to have been cared for by Harbour Hospice. Their first daughter, Tasha, was cared for at home with hospice support between 2012 and 2014. In both cases the whānau was able to look after their daughters according to tikanga Māori, and Ken said this is what they were most grateful for.
“We have no words for how accommodating Harbour Hospice was, and for the love Hospice allowed us to give our kōtiro,” he said.
Ken’s story served as an incredibly moving reminder of the reason Hospice supporters were gathered at Vintners’, says Harbour Hospice Chief Executive Jan Nichols. “Hospice is there for people in the most difficult of circumstances, and we strive to honour what is important to each patient and their family and whānau, and ensure that our services are accessible to all who need it.”
Harbour Hospice cares for one in three people who are dying in our community, with demand for the service growing. Its care is given free of charge to anyone who needs specialist support at any stage of a serious illness which has little or no chance of a cure. “But that care comes at a cost to the service, and
without the support of our generous community we simply wouldn’t be able to continue providing this care, free of charge,” says Nichols.
Close to $300,000 was raised at the event. Those funds will be used to help keep hospice’s community nurses on the road, pay for vital medical equipment and fund family support services such as counselling, social work support, spiritual and cultural care, complementary therapy and more. Supporters also generously funded at-home care packs, containing essential comfort and dignity items, and contributed towards Hospice's grocery bill. Harbour Hospice spends around $95,000 per year on food for patients and their families.
At Sunday’s event around 350 guests enjoyed 3500 plates of exceptional food and matching wines, served by 20 of Auckland’s best restaurants and wineries. Each food and wine pairing competed for the title of ‘food & wine match of the year.’ The winning match, voted by guests, was Moxie restaurant in Birkenhead and Babich Wines New Zealand, which served Torched kingfish, sambal hollandaise, soy honey reduction and pickled ginger with Babich Single Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay.
Guests bid on 88 live and silent auction items, which included a river cruise from Vietnam to Cambodia, a Club Med stay in the Maldives and magnums of Obsidian wine.
Nichols says she is deeply humbled by the support of everyone involved. “From the restaurants and wineries who dedicated countless hours to perfecting their matches to the huge number of individuals, groups and local businesses who generously supported us through attending and spending at the event or donating items for the live and silent auctions. We can’t thank them enough for their generosity.”
This year marked the flagship event’s 27th year. Co-hosted by broadcaster Pippa Wetzell and wine expert Vic Williams, the live auction was expertly handled by North Shore auctioneer, Robert Tulp.
“Thanks to the generosity of everyone involved in this event, Harbour Hospice can continue to grow and evolve to ensure that everyone can continue to experience the highest level of care and compassion,” Nichols said. “We’re very grateful and can’t wait to do this again next year.”
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