The meaning of 3-day-old Tamatoa Ingamells' name sums up his life so far.
A Samoan nurse yesterday chose a name for the Kiwi baby which translates to "brave man" or "warrior" to remind his parents of their son's strength.
Medical workers on two different islands of Samoa rushed to save
the little boy who was born a month premature, two days after his mum ran for her life from the tsunami.
Sarah Roberts, 29, and her partner Richard Ingamells, 38, who live in Waitakere City, had been holidaying at Vacations Beach Fales in Manase in the northern area of the island of Savaii, enjoying a bit of time to themselves before the new baby arrived.
But on Saturday morning, just after Ms Roberts had had a coffee, she started having contractions. She and Mr Ingamells took a taxi to the nearest medical centre but were transported in an ambulance to a hospital where Ms Roberts gave birth.
However, the premature 5lb (2.3kg) baby needed advanced care and the family were on Sunday taken in an ambulance on a ferry across to the other main Samoan island, Upolu, and driven to the hospital in Apia, Matootua.
Tamatoa is in a room in the maternity ward with two other premature babies. He is hooked up to an oxygen machine to help him breathe and to an intravenous drip which pumps antibiotics into him. He is being fed breast milk via a tube in his mouth but he has not been taking it all.
Tamatoa was also born with a cleft lower lip and defects to his legs but doctors are unsure why. Ms Roberts believes her new son may have arrived early because of the stress caused by her fleeing the tsunami.
She had been doing yoga on the balcony of her fale when the earth began to shake. But the oncoming waves did not arrive for at least another hour and Ms Roberts and Mr Ingamells had time to have a swim in the sea before another tourist told them they should head for higher ground.
They ran inland but still managed to get submerged in knee-deep water, suffering a few cuts and bruises and losing their jandals.
"It was just a big gush of water," Ms Roberts said. "I couldn't get scared though. I didn't want to bring my baby on."
The next night they slept in a fale in the mountains with about 20 other people as a precaution.
The couple yesterday hoped to take Tamatoa home on an Air New Zealand flight tonight but are unsure if he will be well enough. The couple's other children, Sen, 6, and Finn, 7, are back in New Zealand with other family and have no idea their little brother has arrived for them to play with.
How you can help
Pacific Cooperation Foundation
Deposits can be made at at any Westpac branch. All the money raised will go to the Samoan Government
Red Cross
- Make a secure online donation at redcross.org.nz
- Send cheques to the Samoan Red Cross Fund, PO Box 12140, Thorndon, Wellington 6144
- Call 0900 31 100 to make an automatic $20 donation
- Make a donation at any NZ Red Cross office
ANZ bank
Make a donation at any ANZ bank branch, or donate directly to the ANZ appeal account: 01 1839 0143546 00
Oxfam
- Make a secure online donation at
Oxfam.org.nz
- Phone 0800 400 666 or make an automatic $20 donation by calling 0900 600 20
