When you ask paediatrician and Children's Commissioner Russell Wills why he steered a career path toward medicine he delivers his reply simply and sincerely.
"I wanted to do something that helped people."
With a father who worked as a pharmacist in Napier for 40 years and a mother who was a physiotherapist, was it pretty much a likely move anyway?
"Oh no, not at all, not really," Dr Wills said.
"I had a teacher who told me once that I would never get into medicine - so maybe there was a touch of reverse psychology going on there," he said.
"I got to go back some years later to say 'I did it' and he said 'I knew you would'."
The desire to "help people" within the realms of medicine edged toward paediatrics.
"I love kids and I love the complexity of paediatrics - there are very few simple problems."
Dr Wills said he also had the inspirational guidance of two senior paediatricians he described as "legends" in their field.
David Barry and Dr Oliver Smale.
"They were both hugely talented and I learned so much from them.
"They got on so well with children and they loved their jobs."
As does he, and he is quick to pay tribute to his colleagues and the many agencies and individuals which he said all work together for a common cause - to make life, and the future ahead of them, better for children.
He sees the hard edge of life as much of his service encompasses dealing with children who have severe behavioural problems.
That means equally close work with parents, caregivers and the wider family.
He has dealt with cases which would shock many people.
The families he sees tend to be poor, and a great slice of them are Maori and Pacific Islander.
Dr Wills used the term "poverty" several times because it is out there, and New Zealand's figures show the gap between those able to live comfortably and those who are not widened between 2000 and 2010 more than any other OECD country.
Living in a run-down house in an area where many families had tended to drift to raised the threat of violence and drug and alcohol abuse - and the growing young minds of children took it in.
He had heard many reports of children starting school who effectively spoke at the level of a 3-year-old and who were unable to sit still and listen for any length of time, as such things were unknown to them.
They were more accustomed to anxiety.
He said children were effectively like the canary in the coalmine - the first to indicate all was not well in their home.
In infants it emerged as infections and respiratory problems, and in youngsters it became behavioural problems. Into young adulthood the stress of what they had seen and sensed from their parents or caregivers began to impact.
"We wrap the team around a child and family and yes, there are times you can work magic - you see the changes."
Yes, changes were taking place, Dr Wills said, but there was a very long way to go and he would like to see the Government do more for children.
"It is not right that being born poor should determine your life's chances."
His determination to make a difference saw him take on the role of Children's Commissioner back in July 2011.
He was called by then Napier MP Chris Tremain, who had been a friend since childhood, and asked to consider applying for the role.
Initially he backed off the idea as there appeared to be little in the way of any plan to it all, although Mr Tremain said a white paper was being prepared and suggested he "come down and talk about it".
Which he did, and after much consideration decided to apply.
It was a case of "put up or shut up" he said, adding that had he not gone for it, and not been able to get a groundswell of support, and change, moving then he would have had no right to criticise how the Government was taking on the task of children's health and wellbeing.
"So I applied and I got it."
He is three-and-half years into the term and said after an initial "steep learning curve" it was going well and that of 78 recommendations which had been made to Government, 26 had already been implemented.
"So that's not bad."
There had been changes but a lot more were needed, Dr Wills said.
"We need to be investing in these children and families."
In terms of his role in dealing with the severe cases he is frequently confronted with his philosophy was to be honest with people and treat them with respect - to determine what were their needs and wants - to find common ground.
As it was, with the Children's Commission, which has 15 staff in Auckland and Wellington, he said he had a strong team around him.
He was also buoyed by the input of the business community, both in seeking employment for struggling parents as well as embracing funding and support programmes.
"The fact that many organisations are stepping up reflects the kind of people Kiwis are - and recognition that New Zealanders love children."
His work, between the commission and his paediatrician duties, was split 50-50.
"There's no such thing as a 40-hour week - it's a six-day week."
But he loves the work and accepts it as a privilege to do.
When the five years are up he will step down "and hand it over to someone with fresh ideas".
"But I will be sad when it's over because I have got such an amazing team who are so smart and talented at effecting change for children."
It is hard, long and at times stressful work but he has a relaxation cure.
"I plant trees," Dr Wills said with a smile.
His parents had bought a gorse-smothered property at Poraite back in 1973.
"We as a family bowled the gorse and started planting trees."
He eventually bought the property and the planting of native trees over a 3ha spread continues.
He smiled and leaned forward - "it's very therapeutic to plant trees".
Dr Wills said his devotion to improving the lives of children at risk and seeing positive results was what drove him, and what made him love the job.
He said he was proud to receive the 2014 Hawke's Bay Today Person of the Year award because it would raise the profile of needing to make life better for so many children, and acknowledge the work "so many people" have done and continue to so passionately do.
"It is not about me - it is about the kids."
There is no doubt he is humbled by such awards as his devotions to improving the state of children's health and lives in general is where his focus lies.
Step into his office at Hawke's Bay Hospital's Villa 7 which houses the children's outpatients area and you immediately become aware his mind is on his work, not so much his workplace.
It is a very modest, very compact office without windows, with a desk and a few chairs and with one-and-a half-walls completely filled with hundreds of files and folders in shelves.
He's comfortable with it because it contains all he needs, and with a smile he said he was at a place where it all started.
"I was born in this hospital and here I am back here."