Kenzie's Gift

Kenzie's Gift Kenzie’s Gift supports the mental health of tamariki / children and mātātahi / young people affected by serious illness or grief within the whānau.

Kenzie’s Gift supports the mental health of tamariki (children) and mātātahi (young people) navigating the death of a parent or sibling, or serious illness in their whānau. We’re here to make sure that no young Kiwi faces serious illness or grief alone. All of this support is free for young Kiwis and their families.

Thank you, Four Winds Foundation 💛Your recent generous donation towards our triage service helps make sure Kiwi families...
17/09/2026

Thank you, Four Winds Foundation 💛

Your recent generous donation towards our triage service helps make sure Kiwi families have access to the support they need when their mum, dad or sibling has died or is seriously ill.

As a small charity, every donation makes a real and meaningful difference. Your support has a direct impact on the families we’re here to support, helping us be there when their world is turned upside down.

We’re incredibly grateful for your generosity and for helping us make sure families don’t have to navigate these difficult moments alone.

Ngā mihi nui,
The Kenzie’s Gift team

17/09/2026

Behind Kenzie’s Gift is a much-loved wee girl and her mum, Nic and brother Conor💜
Thank you to Carolyn and the Seven Sharp team for sharing their story, and to everyone who’s sent a message since it aired. Here’s the full piece in case you missed it.
Nic shares more in her memoir, Bollix, with profits from website sales supporting our work.

https://www.nicrussell.co.nz/product/get-bollix

Our founder Nic has launched her book, Bollix. 📖Nic has lived through more than most could ever imagine - her three-year...
17/09/2026

Our founder Nic has launched her book, Bollix. 📖

Nic has lived through more than most could ever imagine - her three-year-old daughter Kenzie died, while she herself has coped with cancer, Parkinson’s, a heart transplant, and the long, difficult process of rebuilding when life refuses to play fair.

Bollix shares that story honestly and without sugar-coating it.

It’s a story of grief, resilience, family, love and finding a way forward through unimaginable circumstances.

It’s also the story of what came next - how Nic turned her own experiences into a drive to support other young people navigating grief and serious family illness through the charity she founded, Kenzie’s Gift.

All profits from copies of Bollix purchased through Nic's website and JB HI FI will be donated to Kenzie’s Gift.

If you’d like to read Nic’s story, you can find Bollix at nicrussell.co.nz 💜

Plunger Spotlight 🌟Faith, we’ve loved watching you embrace ALL the mermaid vibes this winter 🧜🏼‍♀️💙But even better? Know...
16/09/2026

Plunger Spotlight 🌟

Faith, we’ve loved watching you embrace ALL the mermaid vibes this winter 🧜🏼‍♀️💙

But even better? Knowing all the mahi you’ve put in has helped raise funds to support young Kiwis navigating grief.

Thank you, Faith, for getting behind Kenzie’s Gift and making such a difference.

Check out Faith's mahi here: https://f.mtr.cool/4zwnxh85fz

Christchurch parents Sam and Carrie* had already been through a lot - the sudden death of a parent and a serious illness...
15/09/2026

Christchurch parents Sam and Carrie* had already been through a lot - the sudden death of a parent and a serious illness themselves - when Carrie was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Their two children at home were just 6 and 16 when their mum died.

Sam shares the unimaginably difficult time their whānau has been through, and the ways they've stuck together through it with support from extended whānau, friends, and Kenzie's Gift.

💬 Read the full article on our website.
🔗 kenziesgift.com

*Names have been changed to protect the family's privacy

15/09/2026

🎧 A new episode of The Grief Podcast is out now.

In this episode, Kenzie’s Gift writer and bereaved mama Jenny Zilmer sits down with child and adolescent psychotherapist Jo Doyle to talk about grief in young tamariki.

When you’re trying to support your child through their grief while carrying your own, being present can feel like an impossible ask.

Jenny and Jo talk honestly about this - as well as how children understand death as they grow, how grief can show up in their behaviour, and how we can support tamariki through big feelings and difficult questions.

Because while we often focus on supporting children through grief, the adults supporting them need support too.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Grief Podcast now.
🎙️ Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer.

Thank you to Foundation North for your generous support. ❤️Your funding helps cover the operational and service delivery...
15/09/2026

Thank you to Foundation North for your generous support. ❤️

Your funding helps cover the operational and service delivery costs that sit behind every therapy session, every resource, and every family we support.

When a child’s Mum, Dad or sibling is seriously ill or dies, having somewhere to turn can make an enormous difference. Your generosity helps ensure that support is there, when families need it most.

Thank you for helping us continue this important work across Aotearoa. 🫂

09/09/2026

Our Founder, Nic Russell, was featured on Seven Sharp this week, sharing a little of Kenzie’s story and the legacy behind Kenzie’s Gift. 💜

Now, Nic has put her story down on paper in her new book, Bollix — a story about the awful things life can throw at us, but also what remains alongside them: love, friendship, cold water, adventure, absurdity and laughter.

Here at Kenzie’s Gift, Kenzie’s legacy lives on through every child we support and every whānau we walk alongside. 💛

We’re so grateful to Seven Sharp for helping share Nic’s story and the reason this work means so much.

Listen to the full piece here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alpKKFkeU8k

At Kenzie’s Gift, we know that having someone beside you can make all the difference.When a child or young person’s Mum,...
09/09/2026

At Kenzie’s Gift, we know that having someone beside you can make all the difference.

When a child or young person’s Mum, Dad or sibling is seriously ill or dies, they shouldn’t have to navigate it alone.

That’s why we offer funded 1:1 therapy, helpful resources, a grief podcast and a supportive online community - so children, young people and their families have somewhere to turn, when they are faced with life's toughest times.

If you or someone you know needs support:
💻 Visit our website (kenziesgift.com)
💌 Make a referral
🎧 Listen to our grief podcast
👥 Join our online community

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