Māia Health Foundation

23/06/2026

Skip your coffee tomorrow and turn $5 into a Lazy Boy Chair for a parent and baby at Christchurch NICU. https://www.maiahealth.org.nz/donate

23/06/2026

This story highlights the challenges many South Island families face when their baby requires specialist neonatal care away from home. While nothing can remove the stress of those circumstances, creating a more modern, family-centred NICU will help ensure families have greater comfort, support, and dignity during some of the most difficult times in their lives.

Thank you to Lyndal for sharing her story. Her willingness to speak about her family's experience helps shine a light on the realities faced by many families when a baby requires specialist neonatal care.

When Lyndal Watson travelled to Christchurch while pregnant she didn’t realise the next five weeks would be spent living away from her Westport home.

23/06/2026

When Fletcher Thomson was born in June 2025, he looked like a healthy newborn weighing 4.3kg at 39 weeks.

But shortly after birth, Fletcher was diagnosed with congenital pneumonia and was admitted to Christchurch NICU for more than a week.

For Fletcher’s parents, it was an overwhelming and frightening time. But through it all, one thing stood out, the extraordinary NICU staff.

“Our wee man Fletcher Thomson spent just over a week in the NICU. My husband and I were absolutely blown away by the staff and how incredible they were not only to the babies but to the parents visiting their precious little bundles.”

Today, Fletcher is seven months old, weighs 10kg, and is loving life.

Stories like Fletcher’s are a reminder that NICU staff care for entire families, not only the babies in their incubators. Their compassion, skill, and support help parents through some of the most difficult days of their lives.

Māia Health Foundation is helping create a NICU environment that better supports the incredible staff who care for tiny patients every day.

Tiny hands need big hearts. https://www.maiahealth.org.nz/donate

22/06/2026

Where the need is greatest changes over time.

One year, it's a rooftop helipad.

Another year, it's a place where families can welcome their newest family member.

In 2024, Māia helped support Kurawaka Waipapa, the Central City Birthing Unit, providing a welcoming environment for mothers, newborns, and whānau during those precious first days together.

With four birthing suites, 20 post-natal rooms, and capacity for up to 2,400 births each year, the facility is helping families across Canterbury get the best possible start.

Your support allows Māia to fund where the need is greatest, ensuring we can respond to the changing healthcare needs of our community.

21/06/2026

For Frankie and Paul, the hardest part of their 10 weeks in NICU wasn't only watching their daughter fight for her life. It was trying to navigate the most traumatic experience of their lives without privacy, space, or respite.

Today, their daughter Saoirse is thriving. But they haven't forgotten those early weeks.

Their story is a reminder that caring for babies also means caring for families.

That's why Māia is partnering with Health NZ to enhance Christchurch Hospital's NICU, creating spaces that provide comfort, privacy, and support when families need it most.

https://www.maiahealth.org.nz/donate

20/06/2026

What does an Anaesthetic Technician do?

They are the healthcare professionals who work alongside anaesthetists to help keep patients safe before, during, and after surgery.

Anaesthetic Technicians prepare specialist equipment, monitor patients during procedures, and play a critical role in supporting surgical teams every day.

It's a career that combines science, technology, problem-solving, and patient care, all while working in a fast-paced hospital environment.

Did you know Māia has helped support the training of Registered Nurses to become Anaesthetic Assistants, helping grow this highly skilled workforce in Canterbury?

Sometimes the greatest healthcare investment isn't a building or a piece of equipment. Sometimes it's investing in people.

Could this be the career for you, or someone you know?

Learn more about becoming an Anaesthetic Technician with Health New Zealand here:
https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/careers/roles/clinical/allied-health-science-technical/anaesthetic-technicians

19/06/2026

Last year, donor support helped purchase walking frames for the Respiratory Ward at Christchurch Hospital.

Today, we're working towards another project. As part of the new NICU environment, Māia is raising funds for La-Z-Boy Chairs and privacy screens to create a more welcoming, supportive space for families.

Government funding builds the ward. Community generosity helps transform it into a place where babies, families, and staff can thrive.

When our community comes together, lasting change is possible.

https://www.maiahealth.org.nz/donate

18/06/2026

When Lukah was born at 41+4 weeks, his family never expected he would need intensive care.

Delivered by emergency c-section with his cord wrapped around his neck five times, Lukah was admitted to NICU with meconium aspiration, pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and suspected sepsis.

For his family, those first days were frightening and uncertain.

Today, Lukah is 9 years old. He loves football, gaming, and travelling. His story is a powerful reminder of why NICU care matters and the lifelong impact it has on children and families across our community.

Through our Tiny Hands Need Big Hearts campaign, we are raising funds to help redevelop Christchurch Hospital NICU so more families can access the care, support, and spaces they need during the hardest moments of their lives.

Please donate today and help us support the tiniest patients with the biggest fight ahead of them 💙https://www.maiahealth.org.nz/donate

17/06/2026

For the past three days we've shared projects that were once Canterbury's greatest need.

Today, that need is the redevelopment of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The difference between a clinical space and a healing space is often the part not covered by government funding.

That's where Māia comes in.

Projects like this are only possible because people in our community choose to support Māia.

If you'd like to help create a better NICU for Canterbury families, visit maiahealth.org.nz

16/06/2026

Where the need is greatest changes over time.

Sometimes it's critical care infrastructure.

Sometimes it's supporting families.

Sometimes it's creating spaces where young people feel safe to seek help.

Kahurangi is a purpose-built youth mental health outpatient facility designed to support young people and their whānau in a safe and welcoming space.

Staff report a significant difference in how young people engage with services, with many arriving feeling comfortable and positive about attending appointments.

Spaces matter. Environment matters. People matter.

Your support helps us respond to the next need, wherever it emerges across Canterbury's health system.