The Delamere Family - Gisborne and Auckland
Whānau is everything to Jo Delamere. The mum and grandmother has 16 children and grandchildren, with two more on the way soon. Her family is extremely close-knit and live near each other in Gisborne.
When Jo’s now seven-year-old daughter Kaimarlia was just 18 months old, their world turned upside down. Kaimarlia always breathed “funny” – Jo had taken her to various different doctors, but they had never got to the bottom of it. But when they were referred to a paediatrician who reviewed Kaimarlia’s breathing, they were rushed to Auckland’s national children’s hospital the very next day. “They diagnosed Kaimarlia with laryngotracheal stenosis – most likely congenital,” Jo explains, “her breathing was at a critical stage, and she had to have quite a big surgery almost straight away.” 
Laryngotracheal stenosis happens when you have inflammation or scar tissue in your trachea that makes it narrower and therefore more difficult to breathe; the condition can be life-threatening. Kaimarlia had two major surgeries after the first one failed and ended up on life support in PICU for four weeks. In that time her bowel perforated in two places, and they nearly lost her. Mum Jo says, “it was just devastating. The unknown kills you, that whole time was exhausting and scary.”
Luckily, Kaimarlia recovered but her journey was far from over. A tracheostomy tube was inserted to help her breathe, and over the following six years she would return to Auckland for surgery and treatment at least once a year. When she did, the whānau would stay just a stone’s throw away from the hospital at Ronald McDonald House.
“In that first year when she was really sick, we stayed for a long time,” Jo explains, “Ronald McDonald House organised for the whole family – six children at that point – to stay. We were given two rooms with space to breathe, and it was just wonderful.” Jo and Kaimarlia have stayed at both the Grafton Mews and Domain Houses in Auckland, with stays of up to 144 nights consecutively. The staff and other families became her support system during many difficult moments in her journey. “The staff there are more like family. They are just awesome, they pick you up when you need it – offering a chat, a hug or just a break from everything.”
Jo recalls many fond memories of their time at RMHC, especially at holiday times. “The attention they give to special days like Easter, Christmas and Mother’s/Father’s Day makes everything feel a bit more normal. You’re given gifts and there’s a real sense celebration,” she says. They also found the home-cooked meals offered a few evenings every week to be a “Godsend. You’re absolutely shattered after a long day in hospital, and the last thing you want to think about is cooking dinner.”
Kaimarlia’s is now seven years old and a “heck of a lot better”. “We have our days. We’ve recently moved to Auckland from Gisborne as it’s not safe to be so far from specialised surgeons,” Jo explains. They have had to leave the place they know and love, the hardest part being away from her beloved whānau. “It’s tough but we need to do this for Kaimarlia. She doesn’t sit in any of the surgeon’s boxes – they’ve never seen anything like it before. So we’re still in a bit of an unknown phase at the moment.”
One thing is for certain though, they will be visiting the team at RMHC when they have their hospital visits. “We as a whānau are truly grateful for all of the support we’ve received from RMHC over the years. It became our home, the staff became our family, and everything they’ve given us is just so humbling. Thank you.”
The Delameres are part of our 2024 end of year campaign: Season for Giving. If you would like to donate to help families like theirs, head over to our Christmas page now!
