North Shore family needs your help

By Claire Ahuriri

From left: Quinton, Nicole, Amber, and Gail Arendse

A North Shore family is in desperate need of help

Arriving in New Zealand for a fresh start, from South Africa, an unknown health problem may mean the family is forced to return home.

Without surgery Gail Arendse may be facing death.

Gail and her family were spurred to move to New Zealand to escape danger. A family friend was killed by thieves in his own home.

Gael knew she had been born with a heart murmur, but did not realsise it was life threatening. She was ordered to undergo a medical examination when she came to the country in order to gain a work permit.

Health officials discovered a heart condition, but allowed her to work.

But when she applied for a work permit renewal, they found her condition was more serious.

The condition is known as severe aortic stenosis and means that a valve in her heart is not operating properly, which causes sufferers to be breathless. If matters get worse, Gail will die.

She has been given a deadline for the operation to replace the valve: it has to occur in the next three to four years.

But the family will either have to raise $55,000, or go back to South Africa, so Gail can go on a waiting list there.

If you would like to help Gail and her family email: gailandquinton@yahoo.com