Another kereama, another kidney donated

Merania Karauria | 2nd October 2009

 Mya Tamatea greets us at the door dressed in her Disneyland dress.

She is so much taller since the Chronicle first interviewed the shy seven-year-old dressed like a princess, in 2007.

But now, Mya has a new kidney, is back at St Marcellin School, and was granted her wish to go to Disneyland.

Mya was six years old when she woke one morning, “looking like she had been stung by 10,000 bees”.

And this is where her dad Richard Tamatea urges parents to trust their gut instinct and persist in getting a correct diagnosis, and a second opinion, to ease their minds about what is ailing their children.

Mr Tamatea said it was a nurse at the Wicksteed Clinic who recognised the signs of kidney failure and advised he and Mya’s mum, Kathryn Puohotaua, to take her immediately to Wanganui Hospital for blood tests.

It was touch and go whether Mya would survive, but survive she has.

The family spent two years at Ronald McDonald House in Auckland – the longest stay to date for a “Kidney Kid”.

The family of five spent seven months in a small room, sharing facilities in a house with 48 other families, all with children who required dialysis.

They were then moved to the isolation of a transplant unit to prepare Mya for when the transplant operation would take place.

It was tough at first, adapting to life in Auckland, but it was their “little princess” and her resilience that kept the family going.

“The children go through operation after operation, but they deal with it.”

Mr Tamatea said Mya never showed how much agony she was in.

The brave little girl was in total acceptance of all that she had to go through.

But finding a kidney was the difficulty, although her dad was lined up to be a donor.

He was in training and lost 20 kg. However down the track he was eliminated because of historical family health anomalies.

And this is where the light shone once again for little Mya.

Ms Puohotaua’s friend Justine Kereama called from Wellington to ask where the family was and was saddened to hear that Mya was still waiting for a kidney transplant.

Ms Kereama is the sister to Grant Kereama who donated a kidney to rugby great Jonah Lomu.

Ms Puohotaua said her “kind and loving” close friend from their schooldays at Sacred Heart in Wanganui called them in December, and in her understated way advised the family: “Merry Christmas, it’s happening”.

“I could not speak to her, I was choked that she would do this for us,” Ms Puohotaua said

In February this year, Mya was given her new kidney.

All was not over though. Mya was granted a wish from Kidney Kids New Zealand.

In August the family flew to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Mya, who had endured so much since 2005, was given a sendoff befitting a princess.

Auckland International Airport was adorned with Disneyland memorabilia which Mya took on her nine-day trip-of-a-lifetime.

Armed with medical certificates for clearance so she could go on all the rides, Mya rode the rollercoaster.

Her favourite was the Castle and Space Mountain.

She has to watch the food she eats – it has to be fresh, but her favourite was the pizza chicken.

The family is now adjusting to life back in Wanganui, and speaks highly of the support they have received, all unexpected.

The St Marcellin community has been wonderful, and they were appreciative of the fundraising support from the Wanganui community before they left for Auckland.