Hamilton nurse honoured,
Giving children a voice during serious illness has earned Hamilton nurse Cynthia Ward a New Year Honour.
Ward is founder of True Colours, a Hamilton nursing and counselling service for children with serious illnesses and their families.
Driven by a desire to ensure no voice goes unheard, she founded True Colours 14 years ago after recognising a lack of services for children with serious illness. Today she received a Queen’s Service Medal for her work.
Children are often overlooked when serious illness strikes, but often have remarkable insight.
‘‘Many young people over the years have shared that with me: the importance of having a voice. Doctors will talk to parents, but if a child is old enough they can be included in the conversation and can have a say about their body.’’
Children are the greatest teachers of life, Ward said.
‘‘Adults get caught up in the big picture, without living in the moment, whereas children know how to live in that moment, and not miss out on life. Quite often children are preparing their parents and their families when they are unwell. They seem to have got a handle on what’s wrong with them before others.’’
True Colours is a community funded organisation of five staff, a contracted counsellor and clinical psychologist and a pool of volunteers.
Parents of seriously ill children are referred or self-refer to the organisation, which provides families with nursing, counselling and support. Named after the Spilt Enz song,
Ward said the organisation is lucky to count musicians Neil and Tim Finn as patrons.
After caring for the Finns’ mother as a hospice nurse, she called Tim when searching for a name for the organisation.
‘‘I said, ‘You’re the guy who writes the lyrics, maybe you could help me come up with a name?’.’’
The response: ‘‘When you’re really unwell you have no other time except for telling the truth.’’
And colours, for the colours of the rainbow, represent the hope much needed by sick children.