Richie
In July 2011 Richie was admitted to the hospital emergency department, one week after his seventh birthday.
He had a persistent cough, had lost weight and become so lethargic he was short of breath even when lying flat on a bed.
It was so out of character for this out-going rugby fan who enjoyed the outdoors and playing sports with his friends.
A heart scan showed that he had a severely enlarged heart due to a badly leaking valve.
His mitral valve had been attacked by rheumatic fever and progressed to rheumatic heart disease, meaning he had to undergo open-heart surgery to repair the valve. He spent the next seven weeks at Starship Hospital.
An only child, Richie now needs monthly penicillin injections until he is 30 years of age, and the disease has affected his ability to play sport.
But whilst he may not be able to play rugby like his hero Richie McCaw, Richie loves skateboarding and watching wrestling on TV.
Richie lives in Auckland with his dad, who is also called Richie, and his mum Natasha and they love going camping as a family.
Richie’s dream is to be a rally driver and a professional golfer. He recently got his own set of golf clubs.
Other special ambassadors
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PaigePaige was born on December 6, 2021, entering the world prematurely at just 23 weeks and 4 days gestation, and weighing a tiny 525 grams
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LuccaLucca was diagnosed with an extremely rare and highly aggressive cancer called Epethelioid Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Sarcoma when she was just 16 months old.
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SophieA urine test showed glucose, and a subsequent finger prick blood test showed elevated blood glucose.
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RichieHe had a persistent cough, had lost weight and become so lethargic he was short of breath even when lying flat on a bed.
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MelaMela is diagnosed with an incredibly rare condition called Moebius syndrome
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KaseKase lives with cystic fibrosis, a condition is typically detected at birth, but Kase was diagnosed at 8.
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JeremyBorn at 29 weeks and 5 days, Jeremy is one of the approximately 700 babies born preterm each year.
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JaideJaide lives with chronic asthma and type-1 diabetes.
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JacksonJackson had a tumour the size of a tennis ball attached to his optic nerve.
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HunterHunter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after his family noticed he was always thirsty and that his moods had changed.
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FinnFinn was diagnosed with hypoplastic right heart, when his mother was 20 weeks pregnant.
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FinlayFinlay was diagnosed with type -1 diabetes at three-years-old.
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IsabellaBella was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at her Mothers 27-week anatomy scan
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EvaEva was born with only half a diaphragm after suffering a diaphragmatic hernia during fetal development.
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CorinCorin lives with a very rare genetic heart condition
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ChloeOur gorgeous little ambassador Chloe has suffered respiratory issues since she was an infant.
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BrookeAt six years old, Brooke was diagnosed with gelastic seizures.
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BraydenIn 2009, Brayden was cooking noodles when his t-shirt caught fire from the stove element. He received burns to 45 percent of his body.
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BenBenjamin was diagnosed with Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele and Hydrocephalus at his Mum Catherine’s 20-week antenatal anatomy scan.
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Amelia & GraceTwins Grace and Amelia were born prematurely at 27 weeks. They have extreme chronic lung disease and Grace had her first open heart bypass surgery at 8 weeks of age.
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AddisonAddison was diagnosed with a staph infection, which caused damage to her heart.
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Matt JohnsonMeet Matt Johnson, a former midfielder for the Blues rugby team. Matt had rheumatic fever when he was 13 and has been experiencing severe heart problems ever since.
