Sweet Support: Joy's Treats For Mums

The TVNZ Reporter Is Helping Mothers In Need.

- Kelly Bertrand

As a journalist – and TVNZ’s Europe correspondent – Joy Reid sees a lot in her job that she wished she didn’t.

She’s used to being the one reporting on the heartache of others, but her latest project puts her in the thick of the action, lending a hand.

Along with friend Christina Buckland, the Cantabrian is on a quest to help desperate mums during their most difficult times − while their kids are in hospital.

The pair launched the charity One Mother to Another after Christina’s experience in Christchurch’s Children’s Acute Assessment Unit, where her baby Arabelle was rushed to hospital with suspected meningitis.

“It was horrendous for her,” Joy (33) tells the Weekly, on the phone from Europe, adding that her daughter was given a gift bag which was an amazing gesture, but in that frightening moment Christina realised she could have done with a bit of love and support too.

“Christina was in tears – think about having to watch a doctor perform a lumbar puncture on your daughter.”

So the next week, with her daughter fully recovered, Christina took 10 goodie bags filled with little treats such as face cream, coffee sachets and jewellery, as well as encouraging handwritten letters into the unit, then told Joy of her idea.

“We made up another 20 and took those in too, and then after the great response from those mums and nurses, we realised we needed to take it further – and for that we needed money, because our husbands were not that okay with us maxing out the credit card!”