Alexis’ story
Alexis and her son, Braxton, were part of the Whakamaru whānau for a year-and-a-half. As she moves on from Whakamaru, she now tells us her inspiring story:
“I was not in a good place before I came to the Mission. A series of bad things happened, and I had a lot of trauma from a long-term relationship. I was dealing with very deep grief and loss, and I started going down the wrong path, making bad choices, and for the first time getting into addiction and crime.
“The next few years were filled with troubles, and I became homeless. I really thought I had no purpose. Then a couple of years ago, I started feeling that something wasn’t right within my body, and my legs were getting really swollen. When I went to the doctors, they told me that I was four months pregnant, that I had a medical condition called preeclampsia, and that I needed to stay in hospital until my beautiful baby boy, Braxton, arrived.
“I’d told the hospital about my issues straight away, so they had to inform Oranga Tamariki, who became involved in our lives from then on. But I wanted to make sure Braxton would always stay in my care. I had to find a place for us to move into quickly. I didn’t have any family or friends I could rely on, so my only choice was a private rental that was super expensive and only offered a few months’ lease. When I was discharged from hospital, it was just me, my baby, his bassinet, and a two-seater couch. I was suddenly in this whole new world, and I had this little life who was depending on me.
“Every day was a struggle. After I paid the rent, I had less than $200 left for food, power, and everything my baby needed, so I had to prioritise whatever was most important that week. It was scary, but Braxton was so cute as a little baby, and every time I looked at him I knew I had to make sure we would be alright.
“When our lease was coming to an end, my probation officer introduced me to Whakamaru. I actually expected it to be some sort of shelter, so when I first visited and saw one of the rooms I was amazed – it seemed too good to be true. I was open about my issues during my interview, and when I was told we could move in, I was overwhelmed with relief.
“Coming from years of not doing so well, you are automatically a bit standoffish to receiving help, so it can be hard to put yourself out there. But Whakamaru was perfect, and the Mission’s support is so genuine. You feel acknowledged, seen and heard, and the staff talk to you in a way that means you never feel like just another task in their day. I haven’t had anyone care about me like that in a long time, and Whakamaru gave me the feeling of ‘home’ that I was missing.
“It was everything I could possibly have dreamed of to create a safe and healthy environment for my little boy and me, and I embraced everything on offer. I started counselling once a week to help with my addiction and trauma, helped with cooking in the weekly resident kai workshops, and just started spending time with other adults in a positive setting which didn’t involve drugs and other bad influences. I also started Total Money Management with the Financial Mentoring team, to learn how to manage my budget and help build up some savings.
“One huge thing was getting my teeth completely fixed in the Whakamaru Dental Clinic. Firstly, being able to get into the dentist, and then also feeling supported about how bad my teeth were instead of ashamed, was a really big thing for me. My new teeth make me feel like a totally new person!
“In the year and a half I’ve been here, I’ve come a long way. I’ve had long periods of sobriety, I’ve got some savings, and Braxton is healthy, happy and still in my care. I’m just so thankful to have been given a chance to better myself and give my little boy the mum he deserves.
“The last step for us is moving to a family rehabilitation centre in Auckland, where Braxton can stay in my care while I become fully abstinent.
“Although it is a pretty stressful time right now, deep down I know that nothing bad can come from the next part of our journey. Knowing the Mission will be here for me afterwards is a key part of that too, because they’ve told me there’s a place for me at Whakamaru when I’ve completed my rehabilitation and we’re ready to transition into permanent housing.
“I think Whakamaru is just so amazing for our community. Having the doctors, cafe, laundry, showers, Social Supermarket, and everything else people need is incredible, and I especially like that anyone who needs help can come here. It really lets you flourish.
“I don’t know how to put into words how much the Mission donors are helping the people here. Their generosity is going to a very good cause, and without them, there wouldn’t be such a special place like this.
“For me, their support has actually been life-changing. I’ve done a complete 180, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that on my own. Life wouldn’t be as great as it is now. I have purpose, and that feels good!”
