Kenzie's Gift: Supporting Young Kiwis Through Grief & Serious Illness
When a parent, sibling, or caregiver is seriously ill—or passes away—young people are plunged into a world of uncertainty. Kenzie’s Gift, a New Zealand-based charity, exists with the mission that no tamariki or mātātahi should face grief or illness alone. What started as a painful, personal loss has grown into a lifeline for thousands of families across Aotearoa.
Founding Story & Purpose
Kenzie’s Gift was established in memory of Nic Russell’s daughter, Kenzie. The charity honours her legacy by offering professional mental health support, tailored resources, and therapeutic services to children (aged ~3-24) whose world has been upended by serious illness (including cancer / mate pukupuku) or death in the family.
What They Do — Services & Support
Kenzie’s Gift delivers help in several concrete ways, with sensitivity to age, need, and context. Key offerings include:
1-on-1 Therapy: Up to 12 fully funded sessions with registered psychologists or psychotherapists. These are tailored depending on the young person’s age and what they are going through. For example, younger children might work through play, art, or storytelling; older teens might engage in more conversation and goal-setting.
Support Kits: Practical, age-appropriate kits to help children, young people, and their whānau cope with serious illness or grief.
Free Resources & Articles: Educational content written by their therapists, covering topics such as managing emotions, talking about loss, navigating illness, and support strategies for caregivers.
The Grief Podcast: A podcast co-produced with the SkyCity Auckland Community Trust, to promote open kōrero (conversations) about grief so young people don’t feel isolated.
Who They Help
Kenzie’s Gift focuses on young people aged 3 to 24. The support is for those: whose parent, primary caregiver, or sibling has died, whose parent or caregiver has a terminal or life-limiting illness, who themselves are living with a serious or long-term illness.
They strive to serve families across all of New Zealand—from major centres to rural and more isolated communities.
Why Kenzie’s Gift Matters Now
Increasing awareness of mental health in NZ has highlighted that grief and serious illness are often under-supported.
Lags in access to mental health care, especially in non-urban areas, mean that charities like this fill crucial gaps.
Grief is universal but individual; providing resources, therapy, and community helps reduce isolation.
For many young people, having early access to therapy can help with school, friendships, and emotional wellbeing long‐term.
How the Community Can Support / Get Involved
Donations & Fundraising: Kenzie’s Gift relies on community generosity to keep offering free or reduced-cost services and creating resources. kenziesgift.com
Volunteering / Awareness: Community events like Superhero Friday help raise funds and awareness in schools, showing young people that talking about grief is okay. kenziesgift.com
Referrals: Caregivers, schools, and health professionals hearing about serious illness or grief in a child can pull Kenzie’s Gift into the support network.
Kenzie’s Gift is a beacon of hope for many families in New Zealand facing the dual shock of serious illness or death. Its strength lies in combining professional therapy with practical tools, tailored to age and experience, accessible across geography.
In a world where grief can be overwhelming—and where service gaps often exist—Kenzie’s Gift is helping to ensure no young Kiwi has to face their hardest nights alone.
Written by Stu from EightySix Digital