'Flipping the script' - record number of PhD scholarships granted in Māori Cancer Researcher Awards
Chae Phillips' PhD focused on improving access to care and the experiences of wāhine Māori diagnosed with symptomatic breast cancer.
Photo:
supplied / Cancer Society
Five people have been awarded scholarships to dive into and improve Māori health inequities.
The Māori Cancer Researcher Awards - a partnership between Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa (the Cancer Society of New Zealand) and Hei Āhuru Mōwai Māori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa - have given scholarships to four PhD and a Master's candidate.
The Gut Cancer Foundation of New Zealand are supporting two of the doctoral candidates.
Chae Phillips (Ngāti Rongomaiwahine) is one of this year's recipients, focusing her PhD around improving access to care and the experiences of wāhine Māori diagnosed with symptomatic breast cancer in Waikato.
"What really excites me is the ability to go into a space and come from a purely kaupapa Māori grounded perspective and look at things from that perspective, and then work with wāhine Māori to create solutions that come from us and work for us."
"We know now that cancer isn't always a death sentence if we find things early, and there's so much more treatment than there was 10 to 15 years ago, and we can do better."
Struck by the loss of her mum, who passed away from cancer when Phillips was eight, it has fueled her to work in the health space.
"It's such a harrowing experience for an entire whanau. What I remember most, even after all this time, is just the lack of understanding about how we wanted to support her as a whānau - it was very exclusionary, we were very separate and not able to be a part of that journey in the way that we wanted to be.
"As a child, I recognised that, so it's something that always stuck with me."
Phillips works full time in Taakiri Tuu, the Wellness and Diagnostic Centre at Te Kōhao Health, and stays "up past midnight" to work on her PhD, which is named Te Hā o Hineahuone.
"It's paying heed to the power of Hineahuone. It's paying heed to the power of mana wāhine.
"When I'm sitting there at midnight on a Friday, I'm like, why did I do this? But the best outcome for me is this could be amazing for my sisters, for my aunties, for the people that I love and care about and that's what keeps me going more."
Chae Phillips is doing her PhD through the University of Waikato.
Photo:
Supplied
And she wants more Māori to plunge into researching Māori health.
"It's academia, but there's that ability to stand proudly as Māori and go from there as your starting point, not what someone else says you have to be.
"It also shines a light on different ways that we can look at doing things, for rangatahi as well, for the next generation coming up and going, now it's possible to create things that are completely different, and from us.
Nadine Riwai, Jayde Ngata, Fran Munro, and Gemella Reynolds-Hatem (Master's) also received scholarships.
Within the past four years there have been a total of eight recipients to receive the endowment.
Hei Āhuru Mōwai tumuaki (chief executive) Gary Thompson said this year's recipients were making tangible strides to improve health inequities whānau Māori faced.
"Looking to the future, what excites us about these initiatives is the potential for real, lasting change. We are seeing researchers lead the way in creating frameworks that are not only responsive but also proactive in fostering better engagement and health outcomes for Māori communities.
"These scholars are taking meaningful steps that will benefit generations to come, and we're incredibly proud to support them."
Cancer Society tumu whakarae (chief executive) Nicola Coom said it is exciting to see the research awards partnership grow and strengthen.
"Aotearoa New Zealand is a small nation with immense potential, and collaboration is our superpower. We must drive equity in cancer care and ensure better outcomes for those impacted most - this growing rōpū of researchers are contributing to that goal."
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The motel manager told RNZ that she and V became very close in the three months they lived there - but she was not aware the teen's health was deteriorating. "V was very anorexic when they came and continued to be so." But because the teen always wore a puffer jacket and baggy clothes, it was hard to tell whether things were better or worse, she said. "My concern was for that sad child. "My main concerns were 'Can I help this person become more resilient? Can I help them find happiness? Can I help them get hold of life somehow and enjoy it?'." The teenager repeatedly assured her they were "eating OK", and social workers from Housing First (run by the Salvation Army) regularly visited clients at the motel. "To be honest I knew very little about anorexia, but I now know that people with anorexia are very good at covering what they are doing or not doing." V frequently went food shopping and discussed food, there was "always food in the fridge". "We only discovered afterwards that lot of food was returned to the shops and money refunded." At Christmas, she gave V dinner and "treats". "As far as I know, no-one else visited. We were the only ones who gave V any presents for Christmas or their birthday." She described the teenager as "absolutely delightful". "They couldn't make eye contact but weren't averse to physical contact. "V would frequently ask me if it was alright to have a hug. "The only time they got upset with me was when I suggested that at some point, they had to learn how to do some things for themselves because they would be living independently in the future, and they didn't want that. "That scared them, they wanted to stay here. "V told me this was the safest they had felt for years, here with us." The last conversation she had with V was two days before they died, when she tried to get V to make their own bed. "I refused to do it because I was trying to encourage them to do more things for themselves. "V said to me 'L, do you hate me?'. And I said 'No, I love you, that's why I'm asking you to make your own bed'." She found out later that V had persuaded another guest to make it for them. "That guest is pleased the last thing they did for V was something kind." V's death was a tragedy, she said. "They were a lovely person - we laughed and chatted, it was a pleasure to know them and I'm just really happy that - at least for the time they were here - they enjoyed themselves, they felt safe, they were comfortable." Vanessa's parents both saw her for the last time on 1 January, 2023 - but only at a distance. "She was wearing a puffer jacket in the middle of summer. She wouldn't let us near to see how thin she was, using the excuse 'You don't accept I'm a man'." However, her parents said subsequently, Vanessa phoned her father and then her mother to say she was "seriously questioning the 'gender identity thing'" and wanted them to know she was indeed their daughter. 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A GP appointment was booked for the next week - by then, however, the teenager would already be dead. "I do not understand why no-one called an ambulance that day," Catherine said. "How can it be that a child collapses in front of all these people [at the Family Works premises] and no-one calls an ambulance?" It was the height of summer and temperatures were sweltering. Catherine later heard the teenager had asked the motel manager for a walking stick and a hose to drink water from the tap without getting out of bed. "The manager said she thought it was weird but did nothing about it. I asked her as calmly as I could 'A minor asks you for a walking stick and a hose to drink water from the tap - are you not going to anything about it?'. "She got angry with me and said 'We are a motel, not social services'." The motel manager told RNZ she did not recall any mention of a walking stick, but the comment about the hose pipe had been taken "out of context". "V often made odd requests. With hindsight it possibly meant more than it sounded like, but it wasn't uncommon for certain requests that were unusual." Catherine said Vanessa last left her motel room on a Thursday. Saturday was her parents' wedding anniversary, and they decided to go for a drive in the country and were out of cellphone reception for a few hours. After that final text on Saturday night, Vanessa could not be contacted. "She would always text back because she knew I got worried. So we were worried." On Monday, Catherine rang the motel, but the manager said if it was not a "professional call", she could not put it through. So Catherine rang Vanessa's GP, who organised "a welfare check". When Catherine rang the motel again, the phone was handed straight to a police officer. "I knew immediately that Vanessa had died." When they arrived at the motel, there was a stench. Vanessa was lying in bed with her laptop propped up on her lap, dead two days. "At the scene, the Police corrected us when we used Vanessa's name and insisted on using a male name and pronouns," remembers Catherine. "I was so distressed by this." Vanessa's parents believe the teenager's death was the result of the removal of the protections of the Compulsory Treatment Order nine months previously. Catherine said it appeared there was "wilful blindness" on the part of those professionals, who were so focused on affirming Vanessa's gender identity, but did not pay the same attention to the eating disorder which would kill her. Their crushing grief is made worse by the knowledge that so many chances were missed. "Acknowledging and reporting her deterioration would have been a simple matter. Had they done so, our treasured daughter would still be alive." *Names have been changed for privacy reasons. Health New Zealand National director mental health and addictions service enhancement Phil Grady: "On behalf of Health New Zealand, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to this family for their loss, which we recognise has had, and continues to have, a profound and long-lasting impact. "As the matter is still before the Coroner, it is not appropriate for us to comment further at this time." Oranga Tamariki Deputy chief executive tamariki and whānau services Rachel Leota: "The death of any child is devastating for their family and community, and I would like to acknowledge the grief this young person's family will feel. "As this matter is still active before the coroner, we are unable to comment further at this time." Ministry of Social Development Group general manager client service delivery Jayne Russell: "Because your questions involve matters before the Coroner, we are unable to comment." Ministry of Education Spokesperson: "First and foremost, I want to express my deepest sympathies to you, Catherine, and your family for your loss. I cannot begin to imagine the pain of losing Vanessa. "Because this is an active case before the Coroner, we are unable to comment. I understand how difficult it must be for you and please know that our thoughts are with you, and we appreciate your understanding." Presbyterian Support Tumu Whakarae Tauiwi (Co-CEO) Barry Helem: "I am not able to provide any comments regarding an individual client. Presbyterian Support contractually cannot provide personal information as all client case notes are held by the Ministry of Social Development Youth Service Support Unit. "It would also not be appropriate to comment while this tragedy is under active review by the Coroners Court. "Our service is contracted to the Ministry of Social Development to assist young people to access the Youth Payment benefit. Part of a young person's obligations in receiving the benefit is to engage in education where clients have a choice of which area of study they wish to pursue. Our Youth Coach roles are not social worker positions; however, staff often advocate for clients and refer to other agencies/organisations if clients require other supports such as; a client's GP, transitional housing providers etc." The Salvation Army Regional housing manager: "In regard to your query relating to Vanessa, The Salvation Army has supported countless New Zealanders over the years in their housing situations, and we always complete regular assessments as well as care and support procedures for tenants, often in collaboration with referrals from other organisations we work alongside. "We are bound by strict guidelines under privacy legislation and professional social work ethics to protect the dignity and confidentiality of those we support, regardless of whether they are named publicly or not. Even with assurances that a person will not be identified, questions that pertain to individual cases risk breaching those standards. For this reason, we are unable to comment on specific individuals or their circumstances." If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
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