Help us today » Stories » Sophie's Story

“Amazing, invaluable, priceless”

These are the words that Sophie uses to describe her experience at our Manurewa family centre.

Five months after the birth of her bonnie baby boy, Sophie was exhausted. Keoni had been keeping her up and awake almost every night, leaving her depressed, physically ill and utterly exhausted. Her husband, who was having to take time off work to care for her and their two-year-old daughter, was getting very worried about her wellbeing.

One day, Sophie decided to heed the advice of friends and visit the family centre. Now, she says, “there’s light at the end of the tunnel, when I was beginning to despair”.

“I spent most of the day at the centre,” she says, “and the amazing ladies there walked me step by step through my routines, showing me and talking me through ideas on how to help Keoni to sleep through the night. No question was too stupid; they were incredibly knowledgeable and at the same time tactful and gentle in giving me support.”

Sophie says that, while PlunketLine is extremely helpful, “nothing beats being there in person, and having someone watching and understanding my specific situation. I had so many questions – there’s no way I could have thought of them all in a half-hour phone call!”

Sophie’s now getting more sleep than she’s had in months and seeing improvements every day. A big part of that, she says, is knowing she’s not alone.

“I met two other mothers at the centre who were similarly at a loss with their children. I learnt from their issues and the advice they received, and really enjoyed their company.”

We need your help, to help parents like Sophie.

Sophie’s story is one of many that we hear every day, of how our family centres transform their and their babies’ lives.

We love being able to help – and I hope you’ll join us in our drive to keep our centres in tip-top shape. I can assure you that your gift will make a tangible difference to the lives of children and their families in your community, for many, many years to come.

Would you like to support Plunket?

If you would like to share your story contact stories@plunket.org.nz