Researcher & Writer

"You must emerge from adversity, scathed but victorious to tell your story, and, in turn, light the way for others" Lang Leav

Photo by Henry & Co. on Pexels

About Me

Currently working as a researcher and graduate journalist on the show Paddy Gower Has Issues, at TV3's Newshub. Click here for episodes.

As a writer, I strive to empower underrepresented communities in the stories I tell, so that their voices are heard and reflected in the world around them. 


Explainer: What is dementia and how much does it cost our aging population?

For some, these changes can happen in a period of a few months or slowly over many years.

People with it end up like a different person and eventually, dementia can kill you. About one in every 10 Kiwis over 65 is expected to get dementia.

And about 70,000 people in this country are living with dementia right now. That is a city's worth of people, more than the population of Napier.

But if you add all the affected family members as well, this dementia city would be bigger than Wellington.

Ou

Explainer: What is gene therapy and how can it stop people going blind?

LCA causes severe vision loss due to a mutated RPE65 gene. We've all got this gene. It is one of the genes that tells your eyes how to properly capture light and vision.

People with this mutated gene issue may eventually go blind.

There's a wonder drug, Luxturna, which is basically the working RPE65 gene injected into the back of each eye.

It can't cure blindness. But it can restore some vision and stop it from getting worse.

Luxturna is just one kind of gene therapy.

The scientific magic i

Explainer: Why are student nurses required to work for free and is it making staff shortages worse?

But unpaid work placements are still part of the requirements for nursing students.

Adding up all the work that nursing students do on placement, it comes to 85,500 weeks of work per year.

That's like a workforce the size of Kaikoura working full-time, all year, for free.

Nursing students doing a three-year degree, are required to do 1100 hours of free, unpaid placements in a clinical setting. That's more than six months of full-time work.

The majority of nursing students have family respons

Concerns people with disabilities are excluded from the workforce

Concerns have been raised that people with disabilities are being excluded from the workforce outside of the disability sector.

Despite 1 in 4 people in New Zealand identifying as having a disability, many workplaces are often apprehensive to hire these workers. According to Stats NZ, just 42.5 percent of people with disabilities aged 15 – 64 were employed in the June 2021 quarter in comparison to 78.9 percent of non-disabled adults in the same age group.

Lavinia Lovo, who has Samoan and Tonga

Ōtepoti gold medallist Holly Robinson joins NZ Order of Merit

Paralympian gold medalist Holly Robinson (Ngāi Tahu) has been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year’s Queen’s Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours.

Robinson is being recognised for her contributions to athletics.

She began representing Aotearoa in para-athletics in 2011, making her Paralympic debut at the 2012 London Paralympic Games when she was 17.

At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games, Robinson won a silver medal in the Javelin F46 event and then seized gold during the T

'Women's health has never been a priority': Funding for Waitākere maternity unit put on hold

Thousands of West Aucklanders have signed a petition that plans for the maternity unit be approved before June so development can start this year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Thousands of West Aucklanders have signed a petition that plans for the maternity unit be approved before June so development can start this year. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

The Ministry of Health has paused funding on plans to build a dedicated Child, Women and Family complex at Waitākere Hospital.

Its hiatus comes as the minist

Deaf filmmaker aspires to make TV series in sign language

A turi (deaf) filmmaker hopes to create a TV series entirely in New Zealand Sign Language to showcase the language to the world.


Jared Flitcroft (Ngāti Maniapoto) enjoys telling stories from all kinds of people and perspectives but says stories from the Māori deaf community are imperative.


“Sign language and te reo Māori are both official languages. They’re both important. We’ve seen with te reo Māori that it’s on TV. We’ve seen the progress there but we haven’t seen that with sign lang

The history of dirt biking explained

Dirt bikes became a worldwide craze in the 1960s and '70s - as a sport and as a hobby.

They were soon adopted by young people in low-income communities in the US as a cheap and exciting upgrade from pushbikes. Riders hit car parks and streets in packs, doing tricks.

"Bike Life" was born and, in 1998, the hit music video 'Ruff Ryders' Anthem' by rapper DMX brought global eyes to it.

Today, clips of the subculture can be seen all over the world on TikTok and Instagram.

And just like other US c

Māori Businesswomen's Awards to inspire next generation of wāhine entrepreneurs

Māori Businesswomen's Awards take place at the Aotea Centre on July 29. Photo / Supplied

Māori Businesswomen's Awards take place at the Aotea Centre on July 29. Photo / Supplied

Wāhine Māori in business will be celebrated for their resilience and service to their communities at this year's Māori Businesswomen's Awards.

Sixteen wāhine will be recognised at the awards ceremony at the Aotea Centre on July 29.

Awards organiser Aroha Te Kanawa said the event promotes Māori women's aptitude in bus