Bowel Cancer NZ CEO Peter Huskinson tells Ryan Bridge one in four Kiwis can't name a single symptom of the country's second-deadliest cancer.
An Auckland primary school teacher and bowel cancer awareness advocate has died at the age of 32.
Aimee-Rose Yates died yesterday evening after battling cancer for three years.
She is being remembered for her “passion for education, unwavering positivity”, Elm Park School said.
She wasdiagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic bowel cancer in 2022 after she accompanied her sister to a screening.
She was encouraged to undergo a colonoscopy herself because of her increased risk profile, and doctors found a suspicious area; tests later showed it was a 6.5cm tumour.
The 32-year-old’s brother Mark Mallard posted a tribute to his sister on Facebook, calling her a “rare soul” with “laughter, love, and an infectious zest for life”.
Auckland primary school teacher Aimee-Rose Yates, a bowel cancer awareness advocate, has died at the age of 32. Photo / Elm Park School
“Aimee lived with us during her final years of high school, and those moments were filled with the kind of warmth only she could bring,” he wrote.
“She chased her dream of becoming a teacher with passion and purpose, and in doing so, she touched the lives of countless children.
“If her impact on them was even half of what she gave to [her nephew] Thomas, then New Zealand has a bright future ahead.”
Elm Park School said Yates was known for her kindness, dedication and “the special way she connected with students and staff alike”.
“Her passion for education, unwavering positivity, and the care she showed to every child will always be remembered,” the school posted on Facebook.
“This is a significant loss for our school whānau. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband, Aaron, and Aimee-Rose’s family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her.
“Rest in peace, Aimee-Rose. You will be dearly missed and forever remembered.”
During a 2023 election debate, Yates challenged then Opposition leader Christopher Luxon and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to lower the national bowel cancer screening age from 60 years old.
Every year, more than 3300 New Zealanders are diagnosed with bowel cancer and more than 1200 die from the disease.
In December last year, the Government terminated plans for Māori and Pacific people, who are at higher risk of the disease, to access screening at 50 years old.
In March, it announced the screening age would be lowered from 60 to 58 for all New Zealanders, with the change taking place on a regional basis from October this year.
