Real Life

Cancer teen finds house after homeless ordeal

The 16-year-old and her family were left homeless after moving to Auckland for her treatment.
Auckland homes

Auckland homes

A 16-year-old cancer sufferer who ended up homeless has been given the news she will have a place to live from this week.

The teenager, who goes by the name of ‘B,’ shared her story on Facebook over the weekend – with the post quickly going viral in just 24 hours.

She revealed that after coming to Auckland from Hamilton for cancer treatment, her single father and four siblings were staying in cramped conditions with their family.

“I slept on a mattress in a room I shared with my little brothers. It wasn’t really good because the hospital said I had to wear a mask because I could easily get infected. It was nice to be around family, I didn’t want to talk about having cancer, we’d talk about my cousin, I miss him,” she wrote.

The family had already had more than their fair share of bad news this year, with B’s cousin drowning at Hunua Falls back in March.

Her father gave up his work as a painter to take care of his family, but soon life in the 15 person home got too tense to bear.

B’s story was shared to Facebook

They were rendered homeless, B explained, and so decided to try Te Puea Marae in South Auckland.

“We were nervous cause we’re Samoan,” wrote B on Facebook.

“But once we got here everyone was kind and loving. It’s pretty cool here. We are happy, they are helping us to get a house which is a huge relief for my Dad.

“He still has to take me to Starship for my check ups, blood tests, to flush my line and to change the dressing. He’s still stressed out, but I’m really proud of my dad.”

And this week, the family received the happy news that they will move into a brand new four bedroom house owned by Housing NZ.

Her father and 18-year-old brother have also been offered jobs, so they too can start proving for B and her younger siblings.

B, who has withheld her full name, told reporters: “”I just want to say thank you to everyone for their love and support. Thank you to everyone at Te Puea Marae for everything they have done for my family and I.”

See the full post here.

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