Two Kaikōura women who have fronted a campaign for specialist lie-flat chairs for Christchurch Women’s Hospital have inspired MainPower to gift a chair back to the Kaikōura community.
Lisa Kahu and Arahia Allen have shared their stories to support Māia Health Foundation’s Maternity Chairs campaign. Māia is aiming to raise $44,000 to buy 20 specialist chairs for Level Five at Christchurch Women’s Hospital. The chairs will provide a comfortable place for a support person to stay alongside a new mother and baby.
MainPower General Manager Customer and Corporate Relations, Penny Kibblewhite, heard Lisa’s call and said they felt compelled to respond.
“Lisa said ‘my haka is loud’ and it certainly was. We heard her plea and were drawn to Arahia’s heartfelt story and her bravery in sharing it.”
MainPower has donated $2,200 to Māia Health Foundation for a chair to be purchased for Kaikōura Health Centre Birthing Unit.
“We recognise the value this will bring, just as we had with the donation for the ultrsound machine, and believe it’s important to continue supporting the Kaikōura community.”
When hearing about the donation, Lisa Kahu says she was blown away.
“What incredible generosity and kindness. Arahia and I never imagined when we joined this kaupapa that it would result in a chair for our beautiful birthing unit here. I know with certainty that having the chair will make a tangible difference to the experience of the māmā and their whanau here in my community.”
Māia Health Foundation GM Fundraising & Marketing Anna Galvan says Kaikōura is an important part of the Canterbury DHB region and MainPower is again stepping up to improve Canterbury’s
health services.
“One of Māia’s strongest beliefs is that it takes a community to care and MainPower has shown that time and time again. They have supported Māia since 2016, have given a substantial donation last year to allow the purchase of an ultrasound machine for Kaikōura Health and have stepped up again to fill a need in the Kaikōura community.”
A recognition ceremony will be held in the near future in Kaikōura to gift the chair to the community.
Māia is continuing to fundraise for 20 chairs for Christchurch Women’s Hospital. Each year more than 5,500 women give birth at Christchurch Women’s Hospital which is the largest secondary/tertiary hospital in the South Island and the hub for the Fetal Maternal Medicine Service. Based on 2019 statistics, 88% of women from Kaikōura transfer to Christchurch Women’s Hospital during or after a baby’s birth.
So far more than $12,000 has been raised towards Māia’s $44,000 goal. Individuals or businesses can support the campaign by donating here.
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