As if travelling to Europe for life-saving neurosurgery wasn't enough to cope with, Hamilton Police dog handler Blair Spalding and his family have been robbed.
Their Barcelona accommodation was burgled in a daylight raid.
Hamilton News met Blair, wife Carla and their daughter Indie before the trio flew to Germany in April for radical surgery on Blair's brain tumour.
Blair is one of New Zealand's top police dog handlers. Many of his colleagues, together with hundreds of others, helped raise almost $200,000 for Blair's operation and the family's trip to Germany.
After surgery, Blair suffered deep vein thrombosis in his legs. Because inactivity could put Blair at risk of developing the clots again, he's had to wait a few weeks before making the long journey home.