For Dawson, connecting with Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust marked the beginning of a life-changing journey. A kaumātua and father of four, Dawson became involved with He Puna Waiora Wellness Centre, Kaumātua KoriKori Tinana (a weekly group), and the Māori Cancer Kaiarahi Service during a time when he needed it most. Through these services, he not only found connection and purpose, but also received critical care and advocacy that would ultimately play a vital role in saving his life.
I’m in my 70s, have four children, a late wife, and for a long time I was just at a loose end. Not really doing much, just drifting.
A few years ago my wife started to become unwell and things got tough. We were in and out of the doctor but it would cost us $70-$80 each time. A few of my workmates were already going to the He Puna Waiora Wellness Centre and I decided to shift over.
From my first visit, I put my faith in that place. Straight away, I was getting checked - jabs, blood tests, the works. But more than that, I felt like I was actually being listened to. Every time I walked through those doors, the care was top notch. Honestly, they probably saved my life.
Ngā Kete isn’t just a clinic or a health service, it’s a whānau. I joined the kaumātua group, and Wednesdays became something I really looked forward to. We used to go to SIT at lunchtime, play the ukulele, sing for the students. I loved that. Later we moved to the marae, and it just kept getting better. Every week it’s about guest speakers, laughs, kai, and connection.
They’ve looked after me in ways I didn’t even realise I needed. I’ve got hearing aids now because of a guest speaker from that group, and the fire brigade came and made my house safe by putting in new smoke alarms, and even set me up with buzzers that go off if something’s wrong. Little things that make a big difference. That’s the kind of care they give.
But my journey hasn’t been easy.
My partner, she never got the chance to move over to Ngā Kete. She had breast cancer and had surgery, but afterwards she never came right. I became her carer as she got worse. It all happened so fast.
I was told straight that if I didn’t step back, I might not make it myself. My mental health was going downhill fast. I was trying to hold everything together, but I was falling apart.
She went into a home, but I’d bring her to our home whenever I could. We had a beautiful life together. Then one day she fell, broke her hip, and 24 hours later, she was gone. That was about four years ago now.
You’ve got to pick yourself up and keep going. That’s what I told myself.
I kept going to Ngā Kete through all of it. It wasn’t until later that I realised just how much support was actually there. Once I started opening up, everything changed.
One day, I was sitting in A&E with a family member who needed medical attention. A woman, she must have been a hospital staff member, came up and asked if I’d ever had a prostate check. I hadn’t. I didn’t know anything about it. She told me it was free and fast, so I thought, why not?
That test changed everything.
At first, nothing showed. Then over time, my bloods started changing. Eventually, they told me it was prostate cancer. I had no symptoms, no pain, nothing. If I hadn’t been there that day, I never would’ve known.
I had surgery in Dunedin to remove the prostate. For a while, things looked good, but they could never give me a full 100% clear. So I went through radiation as well. I got through it but it didn’t stop there. Not long after, I got shingles. That knocked me around a lot.
I kept a lot to myself when I was first diagnosed with cancer. I didn’t tell anyone, just my daughter. She pushed me to open up. “You’re not alone,” she said. “You’ve got to face this.”
And she was right.
The Cancer Kaiārahi service stepped in around then, and I can’t speak highly enough of them. They came out to my place, sat with me, had a cup of tea, a yarn. No pressure just support. Real support.
They helped me understand what I could access, what I was entitled to. They walked alongside me through it all. Just knowing someone had my back, that made a huge difference.
Looking back now, my journey has been incredible. Hard but incredible. I’ve been supported in ways I didn’t expect, and I feel lucky. Truly lucky.
If there’s one thing I’d say to other men it’s this: get checked. Don’t wait. I had no symptoms, nothing at all. That test saved my life. If sharing my story helps even one person, I’ll say it again and again.
Today, I’m clear of cancer. And I owe a big part of that to the Southland Hospital and Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu.
