NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

'I'm sorry, she's dying'

By Julia Proverbs of the Bay of Plenty Times
Bay of Plenty Times·
14 Sep, 2012 01:39 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Two-year-old Sativa, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was four-months-old, has been given just weeks to live. Photo / supplied

Two-year-old Sativa, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was four-months-old, has been given just weeks to live. Photo / supplied

Almost two weeks ago Sativa Eagle celebrated her second birthday with her twin sister Indee.

Now her parents are preparing to say goodbye to their brave little battler.

Sativa, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was 4 months old, has been given just weeks to live.

Her parents, Sheree Roose, 25, and Tim Eagle, 28, have now taken Sativa, who has spent more of her life in hospital than out, home to die.

"At the moment we want to enjoy her and be together," Ms Roose said. "We are just taking it one day at a time."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Three months ago Sativa had a bone marrow transplant with the hope it would cure her.

Following the transplant her hair grew back, she took her first steps and tasted food for the first time.

With a functioning immune system, the family was able to get out and about and do "normal stuff" like going to the park and the beach.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Eagle went back to work and Indee started kindy.

But three weeks ago a routine blood test revealed Sativa's cancer was returning at an alarming rate.

She returned to Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital to have more bone marrow injected into her body in the hope of pushing out her cancerous cells, but it had just a 10 per cent chance of working.

Earlier this week, Ms Roose took Sativa to hospital with what she hoped was just a cold.

Discover more

New Zealand

Men's killer disease can hit with little or no warning

15 Sep 05:30 PM
New Zealand

No cash for wrong diagnosis

15 Sep 05:30 PM
New Zealand

Little Sativa's sad farewell

06 Oct 04:30 PM

"The doctor came in and sat me down. He said the cancer was much worse than before ... he said, 'I'm sorry, she's dying'."

When Ms Roose asked how long they had left with Sativa, the doctor was reluctant to put a timeframe on it, but told her he thought it was weeks rather than days.

Despite having nearly lost her several times before, Ms Roose said it came as a huge shock.

"I always knew she was going to make it. We were never going to lose her. She has had many a miracle between then and now. She has fought harder than anyone I've ever met."

The parents now hope to manage Sativa's pain at home.

"We want to avoid hospital. We want to be at home together," Ms Roose said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They have told the girls' 4-year-old brother Bailey that Sativa is very sick and "may not be here anymore".

"I said Sativa might be going to live with Granddad in heaven. It's the only thing I can do to help him understand what's happening."

Indee is too young to grasp much of what is going on but treats Sativa with a tenderness beyond her years.

"Indee treats Sativa like her little sister. She will bring her her dummy and blankie all the time and give her kisses and cuddles and pats her on the head."

Ms Roose said she struggled to understand why this was happening.

"I'm angry every day because I just don't get it. I don't understand why and I will never understand why. Why a child? Why give her to us and have her suffer most of her life to have her suffer and die? I don't understand. It's cruel.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If there is a God, he's given us all this time to fall in love with her ... there's so much more we could have given her. I am angry. I hate cancer."

What kept her going was pure and simple - a mother's love.

"Any good mother would fight to the end."

Save
    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Auckland

Watch: 'People started to panic' - Auckland supermarket evacuated after sign catches fire

New Zealand

New World Browns Bay evacuated following fire

Watch
New Zealand

What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Watch: 'People started to panic' - Auckland supermarket evacuated after sign catches fire
Auckland

Watch: 'People started to panic' - Auckland supermarket evacuated after sign catches fire

'I thought it was a drill - but noticed the flames from inside the building.'

29 Jul 09:00 AM
New World Browns Bay evacuated following fire
New Zealand

New World Browns Bay evacuated following fire

Watch
29 Jul 08:38 AM
What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike
New Zealand

What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike

29 Jul 08:26 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP