Emma & Harper's Story

With her twinkling eyes and her broad, infectious smile, Harper greets us with a great big ‘Hi’. Everyone at the Centre knows when Harper has entered the building as she rushes through reception to start her programme, and she never forgets to say ‘Goodbye’ as she leaves on her next adventure.
 
When Harper was diagnosed with a heart condition at 28 weeks old, Emma recalls the rollercoaster of emotions she endured while waiting for answers at an Auckland hospital. During this long process Emma’s family members needed to return to work and other commitments, so she was left feeling vulnerable and frustrated, with very little additional support. She reached out to the other mothers on the ward, but with the prognoses of some of their children being critical, it often instilled more concerns instead of reassurances.
 
After 3 months in hospital and countless professional opinions later, Harper’s heart condition was stabilised, but Emma was still convinced something wasn’t right. Harper wasn’t thriving, she was routinely ‘projectile vomiting’ and began to present with a feeding aversion because of the pain and discomfort she endured.
 
Allergy testing began, along with visits to the feeding clinic at the hospital, and issues with Harper’s eyesight were now being investigated but often were not a priority. After 8 months with a change of doctor and a barium swallow administered, they finally detected a twisted bowel. Harper was operated on within 48 hours of being notified. Harper continued to endure a feeding aversion after the operation and Emma’s frustration with delays in the health system since Harper’s birth, led her to contact The Champion Centre when Harper was 15 months old.
 
With a referral process in place Emma was embraced by The Champion Centre. “Words can’t express how grateful I am, I didn’t want to be here, no one really wants to be here, but we are very grateful you are here for us!”. She continues “The Champion Centre has been imperative to Harper’s progress; they are all genuinely interested in both Harper and me." She goes on to explain the benefits of building relationships with other families at the Centre, and the true value of those connections. “The bonds that are formed with the other caregivers are invaluable. They get you, and you can let go of all those conversations you have to restrict yourself with, around other mums and dads, and family”. Emma adds, “These are the ‘relatable chats’ the ones that allow you to mourn and evolve”, and then confesses, “but there is still a place for those ‘normal’ friendships with people, they give you the opportunity to relax and forget for a moment”.
 
Emma put aside her plans to return to work as a Recruiter at St John’s, for the time being, so she could give total focus to Harper’s continued development at the Centre, through her early years.
 
“Harper is so excited to come to The Champion Centre, she just loves the music to bits! She enjoys being involved with dancing and singing, and is passionate about books. We have a whole lot more hope for Harper’s future through the support of our intervention team, and we couldn’t have asked for anything more from any of them”.