Brent (Red) Henare

“My name is Red Henare and I am 44 years of age from Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa. I have a beautiful wife (Jonine) and we have 4 kids and 3 mokopuna (1 is on the way). I am a Rangatahi Mentor at Te Whanau O Waipareira. This involves working with youth who need support surrounding their future. We also coach kids sports, rugby in the winter and softball in the summer in which our children are involved.”

The Lucky Ones

She was our Christmas tree. The red blossoming pohutukawa that lit up our house with her smile. That’s my mother-in-law I’m talking about.

“We looked after Jonine’s grandmother for quite a few years while she had dementia and found it was one of the most rewarding things we have ever done, especially for our children to be involved in mum’s final years.

It made sense when we were asked to share our story about looking after mum, that we allowed people to know of the riches we had during this period. This was a time full of little gems we will never forget. Sharing our story allowed us to relive those moments, and look back on a time that was hugely precious. Memories came flooding back that made us laugh cry and sing. As my story’s title expresses we were “The Lucky Ones” for having the opportunity to spend that time with mum.”