Dear Minister Brown,

We believe that no child deserves to die in pain, and that no family should have to watch their tamariki suffer without a way to improve their quality of life.  Any children who die, should be able to do it in comfort and with dignity, surrounded by their whānau.

We know that all children need easy access to paediatric palliative care. It needs to be close by, open at all times, and affordable. No one wants to watch someone they love die in pain. And yet, the government has not funded paediatric palliative care enough to cover our country’s needs.

Around 350 children under the age of 19 die each year, who all require specialized paediatric palliative care. Around 75% of these children do not receive funded care.  Part of this is due to there being only one place in New Zealand where they are able to receive funded care that they need. Only two doctors in New Zealand can give them that specialized paediatric palliative care that all children deserve.

This needs to change, and now. The government can change this, you can change this, Minister Brown. You are the key to this nationwide issue.

You have the opportunity to change this, to change lives, and we beg you, please take this opportunity. At the moment, New Zealand’s healthcare is failing our children in need. This isn’t good enough. This needs to change.

To the people of Aotearoa New Zealand: please add your name to this letter. Together, we need to show Minister Brown that our children deserve better — and they deserve it now.

Please help us Minister. 

If you are interested to learn more, please read the links below.

RNZ article about New Zealand's Pediatric Pallitive Care crisis ​

Kiwi mother talks about the difference pediatric pallitive care makes​

Informative article about the future and current state of pediatric pallitive care in New Zealand