Middlemore Foundation

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Middlemore Foundation

Our Vision: Strong, healthy communities, free to thrive We are on a mission to improve health and wellbeing in our hospital and South Auckland community.

Your support enables wellbeing, health and community initiatives to flourish and thrive.

05/10/2026

When the Hospital Becomes a Classroom 💛

Today, for World Teachers’ Day, we’re celebrating the wonderful Play Specialists at Kidz First Hospital who bring their teaching expertise into the hospital every day.

We caught up with Pritika and Vanessa to hear more about the learning that happens on the wards, and the difference it can make for children while they are in hospital.

These incredible Play Specialists work alongside our medical teams, supporting children to keep learning, exploring, creating and connecting while they are in hospital. They meet each child where they are, follow their interests and create meaningful opportunities for learning through play. They also build something just as important: belonging, safety and connection.

As Pritika shared with us, sometimes their first step is simply building enough trust and connection for a child to feel ready to communicate and learn. This is where healthcare can become a gateway back to education.

A recent story that stood out to Vanessa began when a young boy staying at Kidz First became interested in Papua New Guinea during Language Week. His Play Specialists helped him turn that interest into a social studies project, exploring the country’s geography, volcanoes, culture and language.

As his stay at Kidz First continued right into Te Wiki o te Reo Maaori, the project grew, much like a unit of learning at school might develop over several weeks. It began with a papier-mâché island and volcanoes, and soon became a whole world of learning.

Then another rangatahi arrived from the Far North for specialised surgery. A student of a full-immersion Kura Kaupapa Maaori, te reo Maaori was a natural part of his world.

The two boys began working together; labelling their island in te reo Maaori.
One was discovering a new country. The other was sharing his language and culture. Both were learning from each other, and along the way, they made a new friendship.
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Today, we’re incredibly grateful for our Play Specialists and the patience, creativity, knowledge and aroha they bring to Kidz First every day.

Thank you for making sure that even in hospital, our children can keep learning, growing, connecting and being themselves.
Happy World Teachers’ Day. 🌿

04/10/2026

Buddle Findlay Child Health Foundation brings a clearer view, better care for tamariki 💙

If you’ve ever had a cannula placed, you’ll know it is not anyone’s favourite experience. And if you’ve ever held your child while they received one, you’ll know just how much you want the process to be as straightforward as possible.

That’s why we’re so pleased to see two new Butterfly iQ3 handheld ultrasounds now in use at Kidz First Hospital, thanks to a generous grant from the Buddle Findlay Child Health Foundation.

These small, portable devices help clinicians see beneath the skin, making it easier to find veins and guide needles when placing IV lines or giving medication.

For tamariki, that can mean a more straightforward experience when they need a procedure. For our clinical teams, having ultrasound right there at the bedside gives them another valuable tool when caring for young patients.

And the devices can be used for much more than vascular access, making them a versatile addition to the Kidz First team.

This latest gift is part of something much bigger. For 20 years, the Buddle Findlay Child Health Foundation has supported Kidz First with over $800,000 across 40 high-priority projects, helping bring new equipment and technology to our Kidz First clinical teams.

We’re incredibly grateful for this long-standing partnership and for the difference it continues to make for tamariki and whaanau.

Thank you, Buddle Findlay, for helping our teams continue to provide the best possible care for our youngest patients. 💙

30/09/2026

🏃‍♀️ At 19, Charlie is running the Auckland Half Marathon for Kidz First Hospital.

But this isn’t just any hospital to Charlie. She’s spent years walking the halls of Middlemore – first alongside her mum Kirsten, a physiotherapist working across Burns and Paediatric Services, then as a volunteer, and also as a patient.

In 2023, just two weeks after her 16th birthday, Charlie began experiencing numbness in her fingers, losing her balance and falling over. An emergency MRI revealed a tumour on her neck, and just two days later she underwent a six-hour operation to have it removed.

Further scans found 10 tumours on her spine and brain, including several on her hearing nerves. Charlie was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), a condition she will have throughout her life.

Getting back to the things she loves hasn’t always been easy. After surgery, it took time for Charlie to return to running, but she says it has made a huge difference to her wellbeing. Now she’s putting those kilometres towards something close to her heart.

“I see how hard everyone works and how committed they are to their patients and I just want to support them all.”

Charlie is studying to become a primary school teacher, with a long-term goal of becoming a play specialist at Middlemore.

And she has a simple message she shares with everyone:
Be kind. You never know what someone else might be going through. 💙

We’re incredibly grateful to Charlie for choosing to run for Kidz First Hospital and NICU and for turning her own experience into a way to support other tamariki and whaanau.

Read Charlie’s story and support her Auckland Marathon fundraiser here: https://www.middlemorefoundation.org.nz/post/running-for-the-team-that-helped-her-get-back-on-her-feet

28/09/2026

For two years running, the Rotary Club of Papatoetoe Central has chosen Middlemore Foundation as the recipient of its Maternal and Child Health Project, one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus.

Across 2025 and 2026, Rotary has donated 28 infant car seats to support newborns and families at Middlemore, helping give our tiniest community members a safer start and a safe journey home from hospital.

In 2025, President Naleen Chand and Project Chair Ashima led the donation of 18 car seats to our Neonatal Unit. This year, President Praveen Chand, Project Chair Manpreet Brar and Co-Chair Jimmy Singh continued the project with a further 10 car seats.

It was great to welcome members of the Rotary team to Middlemore on both occasions. They were able to hear directly from our NICU Clinical and Maternity Social Work teams about how these donations support whaanau and the difference they can make for families.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Papatoetoe Central for continuing to support our hospital and our community. We really appreciate the mahi you are doing to help families get home safely with their new pēpi. 💙

22/09/2026

Take a look at the people who pass through Middlemore’s Station Entrance each day doctors and nurses heading to work, mums with prams, visitors, patients and whanau.

This busy entrance has had a thoughtful refresh, with new seating, landscaping and artwork telling the story of Te Oorokohanga mai o Tainui Waka, the journey of the Tainui waka from Hawaiki to Aotearoa, its landing in Taamaki Makaurau, and the well-known crossing at Te Taahuhu nui o Tainui, Otahuhu, where the waka was lifted from the water and carried overland to reach the Manukau Harbour.

A large artwork also represents Rehua, the star known for the power of healing, shedding hope and light on everyone who passes through these doors.

The project began after our CEO Margi Mellsop saw an elderly woman sitting on the floor waiting for her taxi and wondered how we could make the entrance more welcoming and comfortable for everyone.

The refreshed entrance was officially blessed during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori through a Whakawaatea.

Thank you to Rano Community Trust and New Horizon Community Trust for helping make this project possible.

18/09/2026

Tiny babies need big support. 💛

Thanks to the very generous support of Rano Community Trust, our Neonatal Unit now has a new transport incubator and trolley to help our most vulnerable pēpi travel safely when they need specialist care.

The new equipment provides a carefully controlled environment during transfers, helping our neonatal team keep babies warm, safe and stable when every second counts.

The new transport system provides a carefully controlled environment for babies while they are on the move, maintaining the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels they need. It also allows the neonatal team to safely transfer babies by ambulance, providing continuity of care from the unit through to their next destination.

This is particularly important in Counties Manukau, which has the highest number of birthing women of any region in New Zealand. Almost 10,000 babies are born at Middlemore Hospital each year, and around 15% of babies born across Counties Manukau require admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

These are some of our most vulnerable babies – many born very prematurely or weighing less than 1,500 grams. For them, specialist care can be critical from their very first moments.

https://www.middlemorefoundation.org.nz/post/giving-our-tiniest-patients-a-safe-journey

16/09/2026

In honour of National Social Workers Day, we asked Liam to tell us a little bit about his mahi. We are so grateful to our donors who enable us to support the amazing mahi that Liam and our other incredible social workers do to serve our communities 🙏

14/09/2026

Calling all NICU graduates!

We are celebrating our tiny and no so tiny anymore superheros!

RSVP to our World Prematurity Day party here - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6r3OvKG_aTpDMzs592m0JyJmFs2S3JpT_8LU_BxmaLznaxg/viewform

14/09/2026

Dame Valerie's Jammie Army did it! 💛

This winter, Dame Valerie Adams’ Jammie Army came together to wrap 33,107 tamariki in aroha — absolutely smashing our goal of 25,000 pairs of jammies.

That’s 33,107 tamariki who will be a little warmer and a little more comfortable this winter. And with Dame Valerie's Jammie Army expanding into Wellington this year, 38,807 tamariki across Aotearoa sleeping warmer.

To every donor, Jammie Army squad, school, ECE, business, community group, hospital staff member, volunteer and supporter, thank you for showing up for tamariki and whaanau. This incredible result belongs to all of you.

We’re so proud to share the story of what you helped make possible.

👉 Read our 2026 Jammies for June Impact Report and check out the photos here
https://www.middlemorefoundation.org.nz/post/38-807-tamariki-are-sleeping-warmer-thanks-to-dame-valerie-s-jammie-army

09/09/2026

has truly embraced supporting Kidz First Hospital, with their students bringing extraordinary creativity and generosity to their community service. From sewing and crocheting to baking, crafting and creating resources for families in hospital, these exceptional young women are turning their skills into meaningful acts of kindness and we couldn’t be more proud to have them supporting the Middlemore Foundation. 💛

And this is only the beginning… 👇

Last term, we were lucky enough to see some of this incredible mahi at DIO’s Community Project Exhibition, where Year 10 students shared their service projects with fellow students, staff and parents.

Four groups of students chose to support the Middlemore Foundation:

✨ Sylvia, Rosy and Sara created the most amazing felt busy books. These are truly incredible, and we are so impressed by the time, creativity and dedication that went into making them.

🩷 Nova, Livvy and Aarya sewed heart pillows for breast cancer patients.

🧁 Theresa and Sophia raised an incredible $300 through a bake sale, using the funds to purchase fabric and then sewing 25 heart pillows.

🧶 Mina, Lucy and Claire taught themselves to crochet and generously donated 18 handmade items, including beanies and Peggy squares.

But the kindness didn’t stop there.

In June, two groups of Year 6 students volunteered their service week time to support Kidz First staff, creating resources for children spending time in hospital; including baby mobiles, scrapbooking materials for NICU parents, birthday hats and letters of thanks for frontline staff.

And there’s more to come! 🌟

Service Learning Manager Mrs Chu has also created a project for Year 7 students to support our Kidz First Play Specialist team. Next term, students will be designing and providing birthday crown kits filled with craft materials so children at Kidz First can decorate their own special birthday crowns while they are in hospital.

📸 We’re so pleased to share some photos of their wonderful creations below.

Address

Colvin Complex, 100 Hospital Road
Auckland
2025

Telephone

+6492708808

Website

http://www.middlemorefoundation.org.nz/

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