Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

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 / Bay of Plenty Times

Kelly Makiha: Ministry of Education urged to do the right thing for Neihana Renata

Kelly Makiha
By Kelly Makiha
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
5 Apr, 2019 03:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Four-year-old twins Aotea (left) and Neihana Renata. Photo / Stephen Parker

Four-year-old twins Aotea (left) and Neihana Renata. Photo / Stephen Parker

COMMENT:
It took forever for us to get organised to get out of the house but there we were, a group of mums unknown to each with one very special bond in common - we had twins.

It's twin playgroup in 2015 at Plunket. We were all worn out, a little confused and seeking friendship and support from fellow twin parents about how to get by.

I recognised one face - Marama Renata. She's the daughter of two very special local people I had the pleasure of working with at the newspaper - Māori master carver, the late Matt Wepa, and long-time Rotorua District Councillor Janet Wepa.

Marama's twins, Neihana and Aotea, are just a few months older than mine and we got to chatting.

Over the weeks friendships were made and bonds were created. We watched as our twins developed and talked about their quirks and similarities.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Neihana Renata before his choking incident. Photo / Supplied
Neihana Renata before his choking incident. Photo / Supplied

In mid-2016, Marama stopped coming for a while and we quickly learned why. Her beautiful 22-month-old boy we had all hugged and held at playgroup was fighting for his life after choking on apple at daycare. His future was bleak after being left severely brain damaged after going without oxygen for too long.

Our hearts sunk.

In my role at the newspaper and as a friend, I asked Marama if I could help in any way to spread the message about the dangers of choking or help fundraise for the family while they were off work caring for Neihana.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She politely declined. The limelight wasn't for them.

Neihana Renata, 4, can't move or talk after being left brain damaged from a chocking incident. Photo / Supplied
Neihana Renata, 4, can't move or talk after being left brain damaged from a chocking incident. Photo / Supplied

Eventually, Marama not only came back to twin playgroup with her beautiful children, she took over running the group - helping to share in the love of being a twin mum.

She was incredible and we were in awe. Here were our kids growing together, developing and learning but just one of Marama's babies was ticking off the milestones while she held, kissed and massaged her motionless son.

But her love for Neihana and complete and utter devotion to giving him the best possible life was the biggest lesson we ever learnt in that group.

A year later we discussed again doing a story in the newspaper to raise awareness about high-risk foods. But at the last minute, she and husband Wi decided against it. The last thing they wanted was sympathy or publicity. I completely understood.

Since then they have been chipping away hoping for new early childhood policies which, if in place earlier, would have prevented Neihana's accident.

Marama (left) and Wi Renata with their boy, Neihana, who was left severely brain damaged after choking on apple. Photo / Stephen Parker
Marama (left) and Wi Renata with their boy, Neihana, who was left severely brain damaged after choking on apple. Photo / Stephen Parker

Hours, days, weeks and months of work has gone into writing letters, seeking information, making phone calls, questioning reports, attending appointments, finding out their rights and fighting for change to protect children.

Nothing has happened.

This week they have bravely told their story. They still don't want sympathy or limelight. It's about getting results so other families don't have to go through their nightmare.

The message to the Ministry of Education is simple - stop allowing the serving of high-risk foods to children under 3 and insist on medical training for all staff in early childhood centres to ensure they can handle choking incidents.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For the ministry to do nothing is unacceptable.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Rural community 'in shock' as industrial park greenlit

Premium
Bay of Plenty Times

'Stay on your side of the Bombays': Rotorua developer's swipe at Auckland firms

Premium
Bay of Plenty Times

More than half of Crown Regional Holdings' loan book flagged as 'at risk'


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Rural community 'in shock' as industrial park greenlit
Bay of Plenty Times

Rural community 'in shock' as industrial park greenlit

It will add up to 125 vehicle movements an hour on local roads.

16 Jul 09:04 PM
Premium
Premium
'Stay on your side of the Bombays': Rotorua developer's swipe at Auckland firms
Bay of Plenty Times

'Stay on your side of the Bombays': Rotorua developer's swipe at Auckland firms

16 Jul 09:03 PM
Premium
Premium
More than half of Crown Regional Holdings' loan book flagged as 'at risk'
Bay of Plenty Times

More than half of Crown Regional Holdings' loan book flagged as 'at risk'

16 Jul 08:54 PM


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
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • 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