The Angus family: Cooper (left), Tui the dog, Stella, Philly and Rob. Photo / Supplied
It’s been almost 11 years since the Angus family got the news parents dread about their daughter.
Their usually healthy 8-year-old’s sore throat was something more sinister - cancer.
But the Child Cancer Foundation made navigating their nightmare just that little bit easier to deal with.
So former radio personality Philly Angus has no hesitation in once again volunteering her time to MC the annual EVES Real Estate Rotorua Breakfast Fundraiser on Friday.
The event raises vital money for the Child Cancer Foundation - an organisation that supports families of children going through cancer treatment.
Angus’ daughter, Stella, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia just days before her 8th birthday in December 2014.
After a third trip to see her GP for a lingering sore throat, blood tests confirmed they needed urgent treatment. The next day, they were transferred to Starship Hospital in an ambulance.
Stella successfully fought her cancer through treatment for two-and-a-half years. She was discharged from care two years ago when she turned 16.
She is now studying forestry science at the University of Canterbury and has dreams of being New Zealand’s first female chief executive of a major forestry company.
She will return to Rotorua this weekend after winning a Timberlands scholarship for a summer job over the next three months.
Angus said they now believed in dreams.
If ever there was a charity worth supporting, she said it was the Child Cancer Foundation.
The foundation helped them navigate the diagnosis during a time of extreme shock.
“As a family, you never expect your child to be facing a life-threatening illness … it was pretty confronting and life changed. The support they gave was unbelievable, really, and we were so grateful to have them in our corner.”
Angus said everyone in the community knew someone with a cancer diagnosis.
“But these are kids at the beginning of their lives and having to walk the most challenging path.”
She urged the community to attend Friday’s breakfast and be generous if they were in a position to do so.
There were several ways to give money at the breakfast, including buying paintings created by children with cancer.
The stories behind each child’s cancer journey and their paintings are told at the breakfast before the artwork is auctioned.
EVES Real Estate marketing and media specialist Dan Fergusson said there was a huge range of items valued at thousands of dollars to be auctioned.
The prizes are packaged together in auction lots, and there will also be a silent auction with individual items running alongside.
Auction lots included:
There were also two $10 raffles - one for a $330 chilly bin and a range of wine and beer; and the other for a luxury night away for two people in Rotorua, including five-star accommodation, spa entry, dinner and movie tickets.
Fergusson said tickets to the breakfast cost $60 or $550 for a table of 10. It includes a full buffet breakfast, entertainment and the chance to give back to a worthy local cause.
Doors at the Distinction Rotorua Hotel open at 6.30am, the live auctions start at 7am, with the event finishing at 8.30am.
To buy tickets, visit childcancer.org.nz/event/rotorua-breakfast-fundraiser/.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.