Teenager's funeral ends in celebration as parents marry after laying daughter to rest

Ngatokorua Kiria-Joseph pictured on her 15th birthday - less than a week before she died. Photo / Supplied

Ngatokorua Kiria-Joseph died less than a week after her 15th birthday.

As a gift to their daughter, her parents decided to get married — on the same day she was laid to rest.

The night before she died, Ngatokorua - known to her friends and family as "Honey" - was up late with her mum and dad planning their wedding day.

"We were all sitting at the dining table with my sister talking about ideas, the venue and colour themes," mum Kay Kiria-Joseph explains.

"She was so involved and said: 'Mum, you can have baby blue as your theme. You can't have rose-gold. That's mine'."

By the next evening, on October 17, the teenager had died - less than a week after the family had celebrated her birthday.

The Aorere College year 10 student battled various health conditions growing up.

At 3 months old, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - the most common of childhood cancers - and underwent chemotherapy to treat it.

"We lived at Starship [Children's Hospital] basically," her mother said.

Kay Kiria and Vati Joseph comfort each other at the burial of their youngest daughter, known as Honey. Photo / Supplied

"But despite everything, especially chemo, she was such a happy baby. That's what I remember about her. She was just so content."

In 2008, they got the news they had been praying for - their daughter was officially in remission and she received the precious last "Bead of Courage" to add to her chain of cancer beads to show she was in the clear.

"That was a special bead. When you got that bead, you knew everything was done. She was okay."

'My sweetheart'

Years later, however, the family would have to deal with a new problem - an issue with Honey's heart.

A procedure to fix the damage was initially successful. But the next day she crashed and they almost lost her.

Vati Joseph and Kay Kiria-Joseph were married on the same day their daughter, Ngatokorua, was laid to rest. Photo / Supplied

"That was not a good day," her mother breathes.

"They even called it off at one point. But one of the doctors kept going [with CPR] and somehow I could hear they got her back."

A harrowing few days followed, as Honey's parents were told the only real way their daughter was going to survive was if she had a heart transplant.

The heart was eventually found, but the family knew what that would cost.

"In order for my baby to live, I knew another family was losing theirs. I was happy and sad at the same time."

For the next few years, Honey's new heart was perfect and, save for the regular doctor's and hospital appointments, she lived a normal life.

That was until in September, when - in Honey's own way of expressing it - her heart became sick again. Tests found that her body had started to reject it.

"I just had a big cry. I knew this time would be different," Kiria-Joseph said.

Vati Joseph and Kay Kiria-Joseph are married after burying their youngest daughter, Ngatokorua "Honey" Kiria-Joseph. Photo / Supplied

Doctors let them know there was nothing more they could do other than let Honey go home to enjoy the rest of her time with them.

"We decided not to tell her unless she asked directly. She never asked, but I think she knew."

Honey was due to be a bridesmaid

Honey was to be a bridesmaid at the November 19 wedding. Instead her parents decided to tie the knot right after burying her.

"We came to the hall from the burial and my dad and I were outside, waiting to come in.

"The pastor was given the mic and ... I just heard this massive roar inside and knew he'd just told everyone we were getting married.

"Earlier, it was tears of sadness and then it was tears of joy. I was quite nervous - my legs were shaking," she laughed.

Kiria-Joseph said she could feel her daughter's presence and was grateful everyone they loved so dearly was all in one place.

"It was a beautiful ending to our baby's day.

"This child of ours, I think her purpose on Earth was that she brought a lot of families together. She brought her dad and I closer together too."

Ngatokorua is survived by her siblings Valerie, Antoni, Tetapu and Triana, her parents and family.