A young Indonesian woman who was born with a tumour on her face has a new lease on life thanks to Haruru Falls couple Peter and Stacee Honey.
They met 20-year-old Ani Budjen when they were setting up a non-profit project on the island of Komodo. It was only a
fleeting encounter at an airport gate, but the Honeys asked an Indonesian colleague to get a message to her and see if she wanted help.
The potentially cancerous tumour had been growing since Ani was born, but her family could not afford to have it removed. The operation would have cost more than $15,000 in Indonesia.
Peter Honey wrote hundreds of letters to charities, medical clinics and airlines asking for help in what he calls a "year of dejection". He eventually gave up on letters and switched to videos and social media, using Facebook to get in touch with Takapuna facial surgeon Mark Izzard. Six minutes later Dr Izzard agreed to remove the tumour free of charge.
Others, including Romac, a Rotary organisation that helps disfigured children, and a number of Northland Rotary clubs, got on board to help pay Ani's way to New Zealand. The Honeys then had the problem of tracking her down again, eventually finding her impoverished parents in another village on Komodo.
