A Weight Off the Shoulders

Being a working parent can be a real juggle. Getting the kids ready for school, arriving at work on-time, making your way through that growing laundry pile after you’ve rustled up a half-way decent evening meal for the whānau. Things are pretty hectic at the best of times and it doesn’t take much for the balance to tip.

Tania is mum to six-year-old Nikau and four-year-old Kaia. When her partner arrived home from his rugby-league game with a knee injury she knew things were about to get difficult. “My partner had torn his LCL & PCL and ruptured his ACL as well as severely damaging a nerve in his knee, causing a severe foot drop. He had to have knee surgery to repair his LCL & PCL and reconstruct his ACL. So it was quite serious” says Tania.

Then Tania’s son fell and broke his arm in two places. Another trip to the hospital, this time for surgery on Nikau’s arm. “My son was off school for five weeks and work was really busy, so I couldn’t take much leave. So it was just lucky that Nikau’s Dad was off work on ACC recovering from his own surgery. I was starting to get pretty stressed about everything” says Tania. A friend and co-worker of Tania’s then referred the family to Bellyful.

“At first I found it hard to accept help. I felt there must be others out there that needed it more than us, and that I could handle everything myself. But it was such a huge weight off my shoulders when the meals arrived. Something as simple as having dinner in the freezer ready to heat up at the end of the day – not having to worry about cooking for a few nights,” says Tania.

Bellyful Taupō delivered Tania’s whānau Lasagne, Macaroni Cheese and Beef Bolognese. “The meals were delicious and the portion-sizes were really generous. They even checked if we had any particular dietary needs, like gluten free or vegetarian.”

Fortunately, life is now back to normal for Tania and her family. Her partner has returned to work and her children are in back in their routine.

“Having the support of Bellyful was the best thing that could have happened to us during that time. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers that take time out of their busy lives to cook and deliver meals to those that need them. You’re amazing!”

Story courtesy of Bellyful. Words by Katy Glenie. Images kindly supplied