NEWSLETTER MAY 2017
Anne’s life was
more bearable
thanks to your help
Anne Gotla, Lynfield resident,
received Mercy Hospice Community
Palliative Care at home and the
Inpatient Unit to help alleviate her pain.
I have a rare kind of cancer called Epithelioid
Trophoblastic Tumour, which was diagnosed
in 2013. Unlike most common cancers it has no
standard treatment plan.
Dr Bruce Foggo (Mercy Hospice
Auckland Medical Team Leader) sorted
out my pain and nausea medication.
One day I went out for a walk and all of a sudden I
had bad stomach cramps. I couldn’t walk; I was just
standing there on the street. Within a few days a
laparotomy revealed it was cancer.
The kids were happy. ‘Our 80 percent Mum is back,’
they said. ‘Just boss us around mum we don’t mind.
We missed you’.
After all treatments were tried and failed the
Oncologist suggested referral to Mercy Hospice.
I thought ‘God no! I’m not dying. I shouldn’t be
going into a hospice!’
My worst days started in the middle of 2016.
My children were staying, but I was not able to enjoy
their company because I was throwing up violently
most of the days. I was not cooking or anything; I was
just a zombie sitting there. Finally, I went to Mercy as
an inpatient.
I soon discovered that Mercy was a
cocoon of love enveloping patients,
family and the staff.
The doctors are equipped with latest medical
knowledge, the nurses are skilled and mature, the
admin staff are alert 24 hours and all share one
common strength - love through compassion.
If there is anything I value more than the Mercy Care,
it is my husband Raj’s constant presence by my side.
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HELLO FROM PAUL
I arrived at Mercy Hospice Auckland three
months ago to the most genuine and humbling
welcome I have ever experienced. In a very
short time, I began to understand why Mercy
Hospice is a very special place.
It is the same welcome and caring attitude that
is extended to everyone who needs our help.
I have had the honour of talking to our patients
who are welcomed to Mercy Hospice from all
walks of life.
I have met families who have been supported
through the most difficult times by our amazing
family support team.
I have met families who return to visit and share
stories of their loved ones.
I have been humbled by the expressions of
generosity at events we have hosted, and by
the people, like you, who make donations to
make this incredible quality of care possible.
I am thrilled this month to be part of Mercy
Hospice Auckland Awareness Week with
the theme of celebrating our Fundraising
Community. Your generosity of time and
commitment to raising funds for our patients is
extremely appreciated and honourable.
Auckland is a growing and diverse city and
in the next 20 years we are going to see an
increasing demand for our services. As a result
the support of our community to raise vital
funds so our services remain free of charge is
even more crucial.
With your help I am proud to be playing a part.
With best wishes,
Paul Couper
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Thank you
‘I would like to thank you all very much
for your kind donations towards helping
patients like me. I can spend more time
with my grandchildren by managing my
pain better.’ – Marilyn Kingi
You are so generous. Thank you! You have helped
ensure our patients, like Marilyn can manage their pain
until the day they die. Your compassionate donation
towards the February ‘Lifetimes’ Newsletter appeal
raised $64,207.
A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone involved in the 2017
Heroic Garden Festival. Your hard work raised just over
$100,000 net profit towards the care of our patients.
This is a great achievement!
Emerald was a huge success - you helped raise
$82,000 for our patients. Thanks to our partner
The St Patrick’s Festival Trust & our generous sponsors;
Hugh Green Foundation, Barfoot & Thompson,
Farmers, Coll Electrical & Eurovintage.
Thank you BNI Achievers for your generous $1000
donation towards pressure relief cushions / gel pads
for our patients. You have helped to give patients
comfort and healing when they need it most.
Thank you:
Jogia Trust - contributing towards all operating costs
Blue Waters Community Trust - supporting our laundry costs
Everything you do –
every gift you donate, every dollar you spend at
our shops, every hour you volunteer, every event
you attend, every person who remembers us in
their Will — makes a difference.
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Elspeth, Mt Roskill resident,
is a consultant at
Auckland City Hospital
Emergency Department.
Mercy Hospice Auckland
Awareness Week May 15 - 21
‘Celebrating our Fundraising Community’
We are excited this year, as part of Mercy Hospice
Auckland Awareness Week, to highlight and celebrate
our hard-working and dedicated Fundraising
Community. The unique, creative and fun ways you
choose to help raise vital funds, so our service remains
free of charge, never goes unnoticed.
Thanks to you and our local community patients and
families are able to focus on their loved ones and can
rest assured that financial worries have no part to play
at what can be a very difficult time in people’s lives.
Big or small, however you fundraise makes a difference
to our patient’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual
needs — Thank you!
Elspeth Frascatore spent 120 hours
drawing 60 pencilled portraits for
42 donors and raised $4,767.
What was your inspiration to raise funds
for Mercy Hospice Auckland?
My Dad was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic
Leukaemia. Luckily he had four cycles of
chemotherapy and is now back to his normal self, but I
decided to raise money for Mercy Hospice.
I couldn’t think of a more worthy cause.
What types of drawings do you draw for donors?
Cats, dogs, babies and a few drawings from old
photos, putting current-day families together with
earlier generations - that has been really interesting to
do. I have also done a few of people who have been in
the hospice, which was an honour to do.
How long have you been drawing for?
I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. When I was about
12 I got ill. I was in bed for about a month. In an effort
to keep from getting too bored, my mum brought me a
drawing pad, some pencils and a ‘how to draw’ book.
So currently you have raised $4,767 from 42 donors?
Yes. I have done about 60 drawings. They take two
hours each. I enjoy it and find it relaxing.
You have been raising funds via a Givealittle page.
Is it a continuous fundraising activity or have you
a timeframe?
It was meant to end in November 2016, but I had more
orders to fill so it ended in January.
Did you have a certain amount you wished to raise?
I raised far more than I imagined. I’m happy to have
done my bit for Mercy Hospice.
To join our Fundraising Community, contact our
Fundraising Events Coordinator, Kahu Burns,
phone: 09 376 7579 or email:
[email protected].
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Auckland West Dance Academy teachers
and dancers wore pyjamas to their dance
class for a week and raised $525.00
PJ Week at Auckland West
Dance Academy with dancers
and Principal Kym Vickery.
Why did you decide to fundraise for
Mercy Hospice Auckland?
Last year my Aunt Lynette was under the care of Mercy Hospice
for a very long time. The hospice was wonderful to her.
What did you call your fundraiser?
The fundraiser was the Auckland West Dance
Academy PJ Week.
How did the idea of dancing in PJs come about?
One of our dance students had a brother who was
very sick and needed a heart operation overseas
so as a studio we ran a PJ Week to fundraise. The
following year we fundraised for Starship Hospital.
Last year we chose the Hospice.
How was the money raised & how much have you
raised since you started the fundraiser?
A gold coin donation when they turned up to their
lesson in PJs. We raised $525.00.
To join our Fundraising Community, contact our
Fundraising Events Coordinator, Kahu Burns,
phone: 09 376 7579 or email:
[email protected].
How many teachers & dancers participated
in the fundraiser?
About 350 pre-school & teenage dancers were
involved, plus eight teachers.
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Members of the Epsom Bowling Club
have dropped coins into a wrong bias jar
since 2008 and have raised $3500
How long has the Epsom Bowling Club raised funds
for Mercy Hospice?
We started fundraising in 2008.
Do you know how much you have raised since then?
So far we have raised over $3500.
Is the ‘wrong bias jar’ good for camaraderie?
You soon learn to make sure you bowl correctly to avoid
being given a hard time from your team and others.
Epsom Bowling Club members
dedicated to raising funds for
Mercy Hospice Auckland.
Can you please explain how the ‘wrong bias jar’ works?
In bowls, the bowl needs to roll as close as possible
to the jack. A wrong bias means that the bowl will
go away from the jack and be of no use to the team.
Those who bowl away from the jack donate a coin to
the ‘wrong bias jar’.
How many members at your bowling club?
We have 70 bowlers. When we have groups here
for functions, we often get people who put change
in the jar too.
To join our Fundraising Community, contact our
Fundraising Events Coordinator, Kahu Burns,
phone: 09 376 7579 or email:
[email protected].
Who came up with the idea of having the ‘wrong bias
jar’ & to raise the funds for Mercy Hospice Auckland?
Brother Graeme Clisby came up with the idea because
he worked at the hospice.
Planned Giving
Your planned gift, be it large or small, and not
forgetting to remember your family first, will have an
impact on our patients’ lives far beyond your lifetime.
In 2001 the Mercy Hospice Foundation was
established to provide a regular source of income to
Mercy Hospice Auckland.
By investing in the Mercy Hospice Foundation your gift
will do more good than you ever thought possible.
When the time is right, please consider remembering
Mercy Hospice Auckland in your Will.
For further information on how bequests are managed
and the impact your planned gift would make, please
contact our Planned Giving Officer, Anne Wright on
09 376 7578 or fill out the blue box.
A gift in your will
Most bequests are made by supporters like you
who want to help patients with life-limiting illnesses.
These gifts are vital to our ongoing palliative care
service, ensuring future generations of Aucklanders
will have access to quality hospice services.
Name:
Address:
Please send me more information about
leaving a gift to Mercy Hospice in my Will.
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Chapman Tripp made the most of their
‘Casual Friday’ by donating a gold coin
and raised $959 in one day.
The Chapman Tripp’s team effort
raises funds for MHA.
Why did you decide to fundraise for
Mercy Hospice Auckland?
In December 2016, through the Casual Friday vote,
our staff chose to support Mercy Hospice Auckland.
Mercy Hospice aligns with our ‘People’ value by
providing free, specialist care to people and families
living with a terminal illness.
Can you tell us how your ‘casual Friday’ works?
Every four months our staff members submit the
names of charities they support. Once we have
the list of nominations everyone gets to vote and
we choose the top four charities.
Employees give gold coin donations for wearing
casual clothes and these donations are matched
by our Partners.
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How many staff members are involved?
Around 250 staff members.
What amount of money was raised?
The donation was the result of one Casual Friday,
which raised $959.
To join our Fundraising Community, contact our
Fundraising Events Coordinator, Kahu Burns,
phone: 09 376 7579 or email:
[email protected].
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Want to join our Fundraising Community?
There are many unique &
fun ways to raise funds for
Mercy Hospice Auckland.
Do you have a creative skill
like Elspeth and can use it
to fundraise for our patient care?
You can do just about anything to raise money for
Mercy Hospice Auckland – Casual Fridays, Pyjama
Day, quiz nights or even ask for donations in lieu of
anniversary or birthday presents!
If you’re more the sporty type, why not take part
in a running event like The ASB Auckland Marathon
and raise sponsorship?
To find a fundraising activity, visit:
http://www.mercyhospice.org.nz/help/a-z-guide asap
or if you have a fundraising idea contact Fundraising
Events Coordinator, Kahu Burns, phone: 09 376
7579 or email: [email protected]
Wear shorts for
Mercy Hospice Auckland
on the shortest day of the year,
Wednesday 21st June 2017.
Get your friends and workmates together and have
some fun wearing shorts, while supporting a great
cause.
BIG SHORTS – LITTLE SHORTS – LOUD SHORTS
Whether you wear your finest walk shorts and sock
combo, your best beach boardies, or your high
fashion stunners, be a part of our first ‘Shorts for
Hospice’ day.
It’s really easy to get involved.
Just register your
organisation online and
we will send you a free
information pack that
includes flyers, stickers
and ideas to make
Shorts for Hospice a
day of outrageous fun.
Register at https://www.mercyhospice.org.nz/
If you have any questions or would like to contact the
Shorts for Hospice team, contact Kahu Burns on
09 376 7579 or email. [email protected]
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Help us raise over $45,000
this Mercy Hospice
Awareness Week & make
Lama’s wish to help future
patients come true.
Lama was so appreciative of the care she received at
Mercy Hospice Auckland and to express her heartfelt
gratitude she wanted to be part of our appeal towards the
essential upgrade to make 13 Inpatient bathrooms userfriendly for wheelchairs.
Lama’s wish was to help future patients and to see the
difference made to our patients.
Sadly, Lama passed away peacefully at our Inpatient Unit on
Tuesday, 21 March 2017 at the age of 30. She is survived by
her loving husband, two young children and sisters.
Can you support Lama with her wish to help future patients?
Your donation will go directly to the essential
upgrade to make 13 Inpatient bathrooms user-friendly
for wheelchairs.
‘I receive 100% care from the doctors and nurses. They show
you love with their care and they treat my family really well.’
4 easy ways to donate
1
Mail the coupon below to
Mercy Hospice Auckland

2
Call (09) 361 5966
61 College Hill, Ponsonby,
PO Box 47693, Ponsonby
3
Donate Online
www.mercyhospice.org.nz
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Internet Banking
BNZ 02 0100 0815020 00
Please confirm your gift by email to:
[email protected]
YES! I wish to donate towards the essential upgrade to make 13 Inpatient bathrooms
user-friendly for patients using wheelchairs.
STEP 1: MY GIFT
My choice
STEP 4: MY DETAILS
$
Title STEP 2: DONATION FREQUENCY
Monthly by credit card One-off
First name
Surname
Address
STEP 3: MY PAYMENT
Cheque made out to: Mercy Hospice Auckland
Debit my credit card (please circle)
VISA
MasterCard
Card number
Name on card
Signature
Expiry date: ___/___
AMEX
Diners
Email
Phone
Please send me information about:
Monthly giving by direct debit
Including Mercy Hospice in my will
Donations of $5 and over are tax deductible and will be receipted.
Charities Commission # CC31621