Palmer Family - Dunedin

Five-month-old Maya’s name means bravery and courage. In her short time on earth, she has shown both in abundance – having been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis during mum Maddie’s pregnancy. Little Maya has faced a long road so far spending half of her life in hospitals, as well as lengthy surgeries. Her mum Maddie explains their journey below along with the impact RMHC NZ has had on her family. 

My husband Mackenzie and I live in Dunedin with our daughter Maya, our pug Wilbur and a cat called Willow. We love spending quality time together as a family, our holidays in Twizel and Cromwell, and our spare time down at the lake or playing golf.  

I was overjoyed to find out that I was pregnant with our little girl a year into our marriage. I was fairly unwell during my pregnancy, and around 28 weeks I had a strong maternal instinct that something wasn’t quite right. At 30 weeks I requested a scan – I went on my own as Mackenzie was away playing rugby at the time. During this scan, the Radiographer told me to contact my midwife immediately and to go to the hospital. It was terrifying not knowing what was wrong. 

Further tests showed that Maya likely had cystic fibrosis, a condition that causes a buildup of sticky mucus in the lungs and impacts many of the organs in the body. Cystic fibrosis comes with a life of medical treatments, medication and ongoing care. The scan also showed a perforation in Maya’s bowel and we were referred to Christchurch fetal medicine. We were told that Maya would likely need multiple surgeries when she was born which was extremely overwhelming. I felt robbed of the chance to have a normal pregnancy and birth, and our world essentially changed overnight. We did our best to navigate what this diagnosis would mean for our baby and family, but it was hard to digest fully. 

We moved into Ronald McDonald House down the road from Christchurch Hospital, which became our new home. A week later, Maya was born a month early via emergency C-section, as I had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. On her first day of life, she was wheeled into surgery: a three-hour operation where part of her bowel was removed and a stoma was placed. I got to meet my baby girl the next day, in the NICU, this beautiful tiny baby surrounded by medical equipment, with breathing tubes and monitors attached. Of course it was emotional, but we did our best to stay positive for her.  

For the following weeks, Maya was in the NICU as she grew stronger and healed from her initial surgery. Four weeks later she needed to have the stoma reversed and 10 days later we were transferred back to Dunedin Hospital. During this challenging time Ronald McDonald House became our lifeline. It really is a home away from home during what has been worst time of our life. The staff do whatever they can to make your life easier, and the other families became lifelong friends – bonding over shared experiences.  

RMHC gave us the opportunity to stay close to Maya whilst she battled through multiple surgeries and other medical issues. We were so lucky to have a dinner on the table for us every night after spending 12 hours at the hospital. It’s really hard to be away from home - from pets, friends and family especially through trauma - but Ronald McDonald House made that transition easier for us. 

We are now at home in Dunedin, and while it has been daunting leaving the hospital environment with trained nurses, it’s so lovely to have Maya home to start her life with us. There will be ongoing need for medical treatment as cystic fibrosis has no cure, but we’re both so proud of Maya and her resilience. She’s been through more than most people have to go through in their lifetime, and she’s such a strong warrior.  

Our House to House campaign has kicked off this March. To support families like the Palmers, you can sign up or donate now by visiting the website here.