The Rodriguez Family - Hamilton
Four-year-old Yorindel (pronounced “Jorindel”) has had a lot of experience in hospitals. At just 12-months-old, Yorindel started showing some worrying signs of illness, including vomiting and loss of appetite. Mum Michel began to take her to doctors’ appointment after doctors’ appointment, only to be told it was simply a “childhood illness” or stomach bug and sent home. Her gut was telling her something wasn’t right, and she continued to advocate for her daughter – demanding further testing be done. Finally, the doctors ran blood tests and urine samples and realised Yorindel’s liver wasn’t functioning properly; she was extremely sick.
“They told me and my husband that we needed to leave immediately by ambulance with Yorindel, that’s how serious it was,” says Michel, “my husband packed a bag quickly and drove up from Hamilton to Auckland, while I rode in the ambulance with our daughter.” When they arrived at the national children’s hospital, almost a dozen doctors and specialists filled the room to meet them. “They kept asking about our family history, if anyone had liver problems,” Michel explains, “they had to figure out what was going on. Plan A was to give her medicine to try to settle her liver; plan B was a transplant.”
Michel was extremely worried at this point, unable to catch her breath from the whirlwind of the previous few hours. “I didn’t even realise that hospital care was free in New Zealand. We are Colombian, and back home this type of treatment would cost thousands. So, I was stressing out about how we would pay – I thought we would lose Yorindel.” Michel was relieved to find out that the treatment and surgery Yorindel needed would not cost a thing, and even more overwhelmed when she walked through the doors of RMHC NZ for the first time. “That first trip we stayed for over three months – when they said the room at RMHC was free I thanked God. I couldn’t ask for more, it was such lifesaver.” 
The medicine they gave Yorindel wasn’t working, and so she needed a liver transplant as soon as possible. Initially a donor liver arrived from Australia, which didn’t function well on arrival and was discarded. The next option was a family member donating part of their liver. “When we told the family, everyone was putting their hand up saying ‘Me! Me! I’ll do it!’” Michel explains, “In the end my sister Yuly arrived first to be tested and she was an almost 100% match to Yorindel. She said to me, ‘I’m doing this out of love. I want to save your daughter’s life’.”
The next day, Yuly and Yorindel were wheeled into theatre for surgery. The transplant took over ten hours to perform in total and was successful. “Waiting for the news that Yorindel was fine was agonising,” says Michel, “we were so worried and asking all the staff, ‘what’s happening with our daughter?” Yorindel spent the following few weeks in PICU recovering, while the family stayed just down the road at RMHC NZ’s Grafton Mews House. “They put us in an apartment isolated from the rest of the building, as Yorindel’s immune system was so compromised,” says Michel, “I couldn’t believe how amazing the facilities were. If RMHC didn’t exist, we would have had to spend hundreds of dollars a night on a hotel…we would have had nowhere to stay.”
Michel was impressed by how much food was offered to them, including home-cooked meals and snacks. The washing and drying facilities in the room were also incredible – especially as they’d left home in such a rush, they didn’t have many clothes with them.
Over the following three years, they have stayed with RMHC NZ for a total of 118 nights over 12 trips to Auckland for Yorindel to receive treatment and check-ups. As Yorindel’s immune system is compromised she has been unwell more often than most children her age, and the illnesses hit her much harder.
One of their stays was during the festive season, and the family enjoyed the celebrations put on for everyone. “There was face painting, gifts, and really delicious food,” says Michel, “Yorindel loved it. We’d usually spend Christmas at home and celebrate with our extended family which of course includes my sister Yuly. We’re very close.”
“Seeing how much effort RMHC puts in for families during the holidays is so lovely. We came from another culture, but they all made us feel like we were at home, like we were Kiwis. We really appreciate RMHC for all that they’ve done for us.”
Yorindel is now a big sister to nine-month-old Alaine and has had normal check-ups at hospital for her most recent visits. Things are looking positive for the family, with Michel saying, “this is the first year since she was first admitted that we have finally been at home more than in the hospital. It feels like a real win.”