All Black Liam Messam and 2-year-old cancer patient Ka'iulani. Photo / Supplied
All Black Liam Messam and 2-year-old cancer patient Ka'iulani. Photo / Supplied
All Black Liam Messam is helping a 2-year-old girl fight a rare form of cancer by raising funds for overseas treatment.
Ka'iulani was diagnosed with stage four high risk neuroblastoma in December 2016, according to a Givealittle page for the youngster.
"Ka'iulani has a tumour the size ofa softball in her abdomen, which has also wrapped around her spine, and is eating her bones. The risks of surgery were too great to proceed with, and she has been undergoing chemotherapy," the page, co-created by Messam, reads.
Messam said he was friends with the parents of the toddler, Moana and Manihera Forbes, who are now fundraising for overseas treatment not available in New Zealand.
The treatment is said to range from $350,000 to $2 million.
"I have known Moana for the past four years and know that her and Manihera are fantastic parents who are putting 100 per cent of their efforts in to their little girl," Messam said.
"This means that they have both needed to give up fulltime work to manage looking after Ka'iulani, her visits to Starship hospital as well as looking after Ka'iulanis new baby sister.
"Having young children myself, I can only imagine the stress of the challenges they are facing and would like to do as much as I can to help support this whanau."
