Resilient, Determined, Compassionate. These three words perfectly capture John’s spirit. John loves spending time with his loyal pet, Rambo, and enjoys gardening, swimming, and watching documentaries. But beyond his hobbies, he’s driven by a desire to lead a more fulfilling life and create something meaningful for his community. After successfully running a Japanese restaurant in the CBD for over a decade, John faced a life-altering diagnosis of Moya-Moya disease. This led to

Nathan is 13 years old and loves trainspotting, computer games, and photography. Nathan was diagnosed with a chromosome deletion that is so rare he is one of three known cases to have this worldwide. As part of this condition, he has low muscle tone which means he becomes exhausted easily. While he does have a wheelchair, Nathan has trouble self-propelling when he is exhausted and relying on a family member or caregiver to push him really limits his independence. With the hel

Dance a part of Lucy's active life Lucy is member of a large family – parent Pip and William have six daughters. Lucy has a rare chromosome disorder, the chromosome Q13 deletion, a condition which affects only four others in New Zealand and about 150 people worldwide. Lucy is profoundly deaf with no verbal communication and she lives with autism, hyperactivity and OCD. Lucy has a team of three support workers on rostered shifts. Her sisters and parents also provide support an

Fiction fan's dreams take her to Hollywood Rose is a lively young woman who loves to visit her friends when she heads into town. She is also passionate about her favourite TV shows, even writing a bit of fanfiction. Rose loves science fiction and fantasy. She has a particular interest in the Vampire Diaries, which was her favourite show for over a decade. She always wanted to meet the characters in real life, and Individualised Funding made her dream come true. Rose travelled

Green fingers get to work in the greenhouse  Rebecca is a gardening enthusiast who is turning her passion into a sustainable business. As a recipient of a Fund for Good grant, Rebecca grows vegetables to sell at a local produce market. Living with her parents in Southland, her Dad Neville provides support while Mum Dianne works full-time. The family moved out of town to live a farmland lifestyle, complete with livestock and plenty of garden space. “We thought we’d try to give

Just like any other child his age, Xavier goes to school, has friends and loves outdoor activities. He enjoys listening to music, watching television and has a passionate interest in bikes, cars and anything with wheels. He always looks forward to going for a ride on his custom-made tricycle designed especially for him with the help of Fund for Good. Xavier lives in Milton with his foster parents, Alex and Margaret, who are both retired. It was at a family conference that the