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A series of 6 video clips featuring Melanie Mora and her family. Mel is mother to 3 boys - Jamie, Ryan and Ethan. She talks about her experience of receiving a post-birth diagnosis of Down syndrome for her middle son Ryan.

Meet Mel and her family in a series of video clips. Mel is mother to 3 boys - Jamie, Ryan and Ethan. Her middle son Ryan was diagnosed after birth with Down syndrome.

Babies and children with meningococcal disease can get sick very quickly. Call 111 in New Zealand if your child seems very ill, especially if there is a rash.

Helpful resources and services if your child has a genetic or rare disorder.

Kawasaki disease is a rare but serious illness affecting young tamariki (children). The most striking feature is a high fever that comes and goes for at least 5 days. If you think your child might have Kawasaki disease, you should take them to your doctor straightaway.

Rheumatic fever is a serious illness. It often starts with a sore throat. Without treatment, some sore throats can cause rheumatic fever which can lead to heart damage. 

From 2 to 5 years after cancer treatment has finished, your child or young person will transfer into long-term follow-up care. This focuses on long-term problems that may be the result of the disease or treatment. Remember, many rangatahi (young people) do not develop any long-term problems.

Anxiety is a common and natural feeling that everybody experiences. If anxiety is significantly impacting your child's everyday life, then it is important to get help for them. 

If your child has cancer, please talk to your child's healthcare team before using any complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) for your child. Some CAM treatments, even vitamins, can interfere with standard medical treatment or can be unsafe for your child with cancer. 

When your child is getting ready to go home from hospital, feelings of excitement can be mixed with feelings of anxiety for everyone in the whānau (family). 

If your child has had a cancer diagnosis, you and your whānau (family) should know that you are not alone. Support is available.

Find out about some techniques you can use to help your child cope with their cancer treatment.

Play is how tamariki (children) make sense of the world around them. In hospital, it helps them to express their feelings and worries, understand what is happening and cope with treatment. This information is for child cancer patients in hospital but is also relevant to any child in hospital.

Sometimes, if your child has lost a lot of weight or has not been eating very well for a period of time, they may need tube feeding. 

Medicines your child has during cancer treatment can sometimes cause taste changes.

Diabetes-related distress and mental health concerns are common in tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people) living with diabetes. Support is available to help you and your whānau.