A Nelson Christian Academy teacher says the aroha shown by her school community has helped carry her through an exhausting journey with multiple myeloma.
Noeline Strange, or Whaea Noels as she’s known at school, was diagnosed last year, shortly before she was due to head overseas on a long-planned holiday, which meant she could no longer go.
Instead, the school created its own ‘round the world’ adventure every Friday, following her itinerary with dressups, kai and celebrations of the country she was meant to be visiting.
“It took my mind off it,” Noeline says. “That really got me through.”
Two weeks ago, the school went even further, hosting a community fundraiser that saw principal Jenny Laidlaw shave off her long, curly hair, while associate principals Tommy Winnington and Paora Konia endured a full leg wax to the absolute delight of students.
The event raised more than $5400 for Whaea Noels.
Noeline travelled to Christchurch once a week for 12 weeks late last year for injections of Daratumumab, a treatment for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma that is not funded in New Zealand, despite being funded in 47 other countries. Each dose cost about $10,000.
After a month’s break in December where she saw “really good results”, Noeline recently underwent a stem cell transplant. Specialists removed 3 million stem cells from her blood, treated them with chemotherapy and then returned them to her body to graft with her bone marrow.
“They kill everything off with chemo, then put the stem cells back. I had no immunity while all those new cells started regenerating.”
The effects of the chemotherapy put her in hospital for 10 days.
Jenny says supporting Noeline was simply about wrapping around her and making her feel loved.
Noeline started at the school in 2000, took time off to raise her twins, and says she has become the NCA boomerang.
“I go away and always come back.”
“When I got diagnosed, they gave me relieving. I didn’t stay away even though it was hard. They’ve really been on the journey with me.”
Jenny says the school community has been incredible.
“This is just eating into any savings she has. She’s coming up to retirement so we wanted to help.”
Fundraising began with a gold coin donation at a whānau day in Term 1.
“Then Tommy got carried away and said ‘how bout you shave your head’,” Jenny says.
“It just got bigger and bigger. We set a target of $3500 and we were already up to $4100 before Friday started.”
Noeline joined the celebration via video link from Christchurch, where she is recovering from the transplant.
“It was perfect timing,” she says. “I just got out of hospital that day and I was up to it. They included me and got me to speak. It was so fabulous of them to do that for me.
“It was really good for the kids. It was a really good community thing.”
For Tommy and Paora, it was their first and likely last leg wax. Tommy says they played up the pain “a little” for the kids’ enjoyment.
And will the NCA boomerang return?
“They’re my family. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. I’m expecting good results. I’m going to be fine. I’m at retirement age but I’ve got a couple of kids to tutor and I’ll stay in contact.”
To donate to Whaea Noels visit givealittle.co.nz/cause/nanni-noels-needs-us-e-te-whanau
