Your stories

Your stories inspire others but they also inspire us

Mahana Southern Maori Mental Health & Addiction: Sam Payne

Pictured: Sam Payne with her son Nixon. As a teen, a traumatic event and a breakup sent Sam Payne’s life spiralling out of control. For over a decade, she was […]
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Southern Stop Smoking Service: Stacey & Shane

The Southern Stop Smoking Service was there for us at the right time. It was like having a friend who had stopped smoking and was helping us through. Members of […]
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Cancer Pathway: Raewyn Burton

Barbara Metzger was my translator. My mind was exhausted and my body was shattered, but Barbara LISTENED then translated into a language that I understood, but also added her valuable […]
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Southern Stop Smoking Service: I Stopped Smoking Before It Was Too Late

After a 40-year smoking habit, I decided to stop before I’m unable to hold on to them anymore. Recently, I was diagnosed with MND (motor Neurone Disease), which means that […]
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Southern Stop Smoking Service: I'm Calmer Without Smokes

I started smoking when I was around 12-years-old because everyone around me was smoking and back then, we didn’t realise quite how dangerous it is. I continued smoking until about […]
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Southern Stop Smoking Service: How I Stopped Smoking After 50 Years

High blood pressure and an unhealthy habit of chain smoking led me to make one of the biggest changes of my life. After 50 years of heavily smoking, I decided […]
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