Guest Family - Cambridge
Three-year-old Zack Guest is the most bubbly, confident little boy. “He just makes friends with everyone, left right and centre!” mum Kim says, “but I think his best friend so far is Lavi – the chef at RMHC NZ.” The Guests have stayed at RMHC NZ’s Domain House for over 100 nights, while Zack battles acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (A.L.L).
Hailing from Cambridge but originally from South Africa, Kim and husband Allayne are a long way from home. When Zack first started showing concerning signs with a nosebleed and flu-like symptoms, Kim took him to the GP. “We ended up going to the GP three times before a nurse finally noticed the mix of symptoms could be something more,” Kim explains, “Zack had this fever that pain relief medication wouldn’t budge, but he also had bruises all over his legs and petechiae – we later learned this was a sign of a low platelet count.”
Zack had bloodwork done at nearby Waikato Hospital, and Kim explains, “Allayne was away for work, so I was on my own. The doctor called me into a room away from everyone, and a social
worker came too. I realised then that this wasn’t going to be good news.” She popped Allayne on speaker phone and the doctor delivered the devastating news: Zack had leukaemia. “I burst into tears; it didn’t feel real. That time still feels like a blur.”
Zack began his treatment plan at the national children’s hospital in Auckland, with the first year being the most intensive in terms of treatment. “He’s currently on 24/7 treatment where he’s connected to chemotherapy via a special backpack,” explains Kim, “as he’s in the standard risk – high group, his chances of relapse are higher so the doctors are doing everything they can to avoid that.” That means a more intensive treatment plan which has been extremely hard for Kim to witness. “Having to hold down your baby while they put needles into him is horrific. He’s looking at you for help but you’re putting him through pain – it’s hard to describe how awful it feels.”
The Guests have stayed at the Domain Ronald McDonald House during this time, and Kim has been blown away by the service. “It has meant the world to us,” explains Kim, “we arrived in such a rush, we had literally nothing. Geraldine organised toothbrushes, soap, even clothes.” The House gave Kim and Allayne a welcome respite from the hospital, with Kim saying, “having the opportunity to swap out with each other and get some sleep was vital – we had to stay strong for Zack and running on zero sleep wasn’t doing us any favours.”
Zack has become a bit of a celebrity around the House, making friends with staff, volunteers and other families. “He has bonded so much with Lavi the head chef, who even lets him help out in the kitchen – it’s amazing!” says Kim, “the other families have also been a real source of strength. One family have finished their journey but still made the trip to come in and visit us.”
At the beginning of treatment, Zack lost all strength in his legs. “He went from a running, jumping three-year-old to not being able to walk,” says Kim, “it was incredibly frustrating for him.” Zack started being pushed in the pram again and then crawling, and then when Beau, one of the maintenance workers at Domain House, took Zack’s training wheels off his bike he could slowly work his way up to biking around the grounds. This gave his legs the strength they needed to walk again and he is once again running around the House when his energy allows.
Kim explains they’ll be back several times during 2025 for treatment. “We are so grateful knowing that when we need to return, we will be welcomed at RMHC. We know the staff and volunteers so well now, and Zack is so happy here. I can’t imagine going through what we’ve been through without RMHC.”
“The hospitality and thoughtfulness of everyone at the House is just astounding. Zack loves anything with lights and sounds, so one of the staff went and chose a special Christmas ornament for him to have in the room and he was so happy. It’s little touches like that – this place is just so special.”
The Guest family encourage RMHC NZ's supporters to sign up to our biggest fundraising campaign: House to House 2025. You can do so by visiting the website here, and support other families like the Guests while getting fit this March!
