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.

Thanks to the generosity of the John Ilott Charitable Trust, more tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa can access the ...
24/05/2026

Thanks to the generosity of the John Ilott Charitable Trust, more tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa can access the support they need. 💛

Their contribution is helping fund both therapy and triage. That means a young person can reach out, be heard, and be matched with the right care, exactly when they need it.

We're so grateful to the John Ilott Charitable Trust for helping us keep showing up for young Kiwis navigating grief, death, or serious illness.

Ngā mihi nui. 🌈💛

22/05/2026

A death changes a life.

21/05/2026

A few months after Kenzie's Gift founder, Nic Russell had her heart transplant in 2022, TVNZ filmed this documentary about cold water swimming.

But it was never just about the swimming.

It’s about the different ways people try to cope when life changes forever — after the death of a child or serious illness.

The documentary also features Sarah, another bereaved mum living with cancer, who has become an incredible supporter of Kenzie’s Gift and the work we do supporting the mental health of young Kiwis whose parent or sibling has died or has a serious illness.

As we head into another winter — and another Winter Swim Challenge fundraiser (launching next week— we thought we’d reshare it).

(And yes, Nic would like it noted this was peak transplant steroid face.)

A heartfelt thank you to The Sargood Bequest for their generous support of Kenzie's Gift. 💛Their contribution means more...
20/05/2026

A heartfelt thank you to The Sargood Bequest for their generous support of Kenzie's Gift. 💛

Their contribution means more tamariki and rangatahi in Christchurch can access fully funded therapy when a parent or sibling dies or becomes seriously ill.

For a young person carrying that kind of weight, having a clinical psychologist or registered psychotherapist to turn to can change everything. We're so grateful to The Sargood Bequest for making that possible for whānau in Ōtautahi.

Ngā mihi nui. 🌈💛

A young child is sitting in your class. Her dad died last week. Monday morning she's sitting in front of you, and you're...
18/05/2026

A young child is sitting in your class. Her dad died last week. Monday morning she's sitting in front of you, and you're meant to teach maths.

Most teachers we talk to have been there. None of them felt ready.

We made a toolkit with our clinical team for kaiako across Aotearoa. How to talk to your class. What to say to the student who's just come back. What to do when they're fine for a week and then fall apart in PE. How to look after yourself at the same time.

Download or order a hard copy: https://tinyurl.com/yb9kffbh

A huge thank you to NZ Lotteries for their generous backing of Kenzie's Gift. 💛Their contribution is helping sustain our...
16/05/2026

A huge thank you to NZ Lotteries for their generous backing of Kenzie's Gift. 💛

Their contribution is helping sustain our operational mahi. The essential, behind-the-scenes work that keeps Kenzie's Gift running and ready for every tamariki and rangatahi who reaches out.

Because we receive no government funding, support at this scale matters enormously. It means we can keep showing up for young Kiwis when a parent or sibling dies or becomes seriously ill, with the tools, care, and guidance they need.

Ngā mihi nui to NZ Lotteries for backing this important mahi for whānau across Aotearoa. 🌈💛

Did you know Aotearoa has one of the highest rates of school bullying in the OECD? New Zealand sits in the top three out...
14/05/2026

Did you know Aotearoa has one of the highest rates of school bullying in the OECD? New Zealand sits in the top three out of 38 countries. And, research shows that tamariki who are grieving the death of a parent or sibling are even more vulnerable to being targeted at kura.

This Pink Shirt Day, we want to make sure no grieving child faces that alone.

We've put together an article for mātua / parents and caregivers: we talk you through what bullying can look like, how to support your tamaiti through it, and how to work with their kura. 🔗: https://tinyurl.com/mw2vp838

Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora. Speak up, Stand together, Stop bullying. 💖

Mother's Day is hard when your māmā has died.For tamariki experiencing that, today can feel really big. And the adults a...
10/05/2026

Mother's Day is hard when your māmā has died.

For tamariki experiencing that, today can feel really big. And the adults around them often wonder what to say, or what to do.

Swipe for 10 simple ways to help the young people in your whānau feel close to her today. 💜

There's no right way to grieve, and no perfect way to get through a day like this. But doing something together can help.

If you'd like support for a tamaiti or rangatahi in your whānau, we're here. www.kenziesgift.com

Mother's Day isn't one-size-fits-all. Whether you're celebrating, shopping with purpose, or just trying to get through S...
03/05/2026

Mother's Day isn't one-size-fits-all. Whether you're celebrating, shopping with purpose, or just trying to get through Sunday. Here's what's inside 👇

🚨 Mother's Day Giveaway: Shop through ShopGood by 7 May and go in the draw to win a $250 voucher + $250 donation to Kenzie's Gift
💜 Support for kids without mum: tips for whānau supporting a child whose mum has died
🖼️ Henare & Hannah: a beautiful NZ art print by Willa Black, with a portion of sales going to Kenzie's Gift and Rei Kōtuku
🎁 A gift in her name: make a donation to Kenzie's Gift to support other Kiwi kids in her honour this Mother's Day

Find our Mother's Day collection here: https://linktr.ee/kenziesgiftofficial 💜

29/04/2026

Congratulations, Gráinne Moss. 💙

Last weekend Swim IrishKiwi swam the Auckland Triple Crown. 58km of open water across three swims and more than eighteen hours in the gulf.

🏊‍♀️ Rangitoto (20km): 5h57m42s
🏊‍♀️ Tiritiri to Waiheke (24km): 7h59m40s
🏊‍♀️ Seti's Triangle (14km): 4h32m

And she's calling it a warm-up. Japan is up next!

But why does she do it? Well, how do you tell a 5-year-old his dad has died?

That's what Abbey faced when Vinnie's dad died suddenly. She found Kenzie's Gift through a friend, and over the next twelve sessions our therapist Nicola helped Vinnie build a book of his dad's story, finding the words they both needed along the way. Read Vinnie's story: https://tinyurl.com/2m9jhs2x

It's wee Vinnie, and kids like him, that Gráinne swims for.

Gráinne and her supporters have raised $3,500 in this campaign alone. That's more than 15 tamariki sitting down for their first therapy session. Kids who would otherwise be carrying their questions alone.

Help us reach the next child before she leaves for Japan: https://grainne.kenziesgift.com/

Thank you, Gráinne. We love you.

SwimScape

28/04/2026

And that’s a wrap- a huge congrats - another triple crown 👑🙌🙌🙌

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Auckland

Website

http://www.kenziesgift.com/

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