Meet our very first Plunket ambassador, nine-year-old Isla Jurgeleit.
Isla and her family are huge supporters of Plunket. They say if it had not been for the quick-thinking advice they received from a PlunketLine nurse, who told them to take Isla straight to hospital when she was just a couple of weeks old, Isla might not be here today.
It turned out that Isla had bacterial meningitis and doctors told her family even another hour could have meant the difference between life and death.
Isla offered to become an ambassador because she wants to help raise awareness of both Plunket and our PlunketLine service, a free, 24/7 phone helpline. Parents and caregivers can call free on 0800 933 922 for 24/7 health and parenting information from a registered nurse.
"Now that I'm older, I really understand what happened to me and how lucky I am to be alive," Isla says.
"I want to be an ambassador for Plunket so I can raise awareness, and so that other kids and babies like me can get the same help I did."
Isla's work as an ambassador
Isla appeared on TVNZ Breakfast to talk about how Plunket and PlunketLine saved her nurse and why she wants to be an ambassador. You can watch the clip here (Isla's segment starts two hours into the episode).
Isla and her mum Francesca on the Breakfast couch with host Anna Burn-Francis (left)
She's also attended events in Auckland and Wellington to celebrate PlunketLine's 30th birthday.
Isla with parents Francesca and Mark with CE Fiona Kingsford in Auckland
Minister for Children Karen Chhour with Isla and Fiona Kingsford in Wellington
We are so grateful to Isla and her parents for their support, and proud of the work Isla is already doing to raise awareness for our mahi. We can't wait to see what she does next!