My Perfect Family: Alex
Performance is in the Walsh family’s DNA. When their youngest son Alex was born with Down syndrome, ...
My Perfect Family: Max and Grace
Siblings Max and Grace are off on a road trip to Queenstown, putting Max's independence to the test ...
My Perfect Family: Tri Rugby
For members of Christchurch's Tri Rugby team - who live with intellectual disabilities - rugby is mo...
My Perfect Family: Hatty
Hatty Walton is a 13-year-old star on the show Mystic, who lives with a hearing impairment. Hatty ho...
My Perfect Family: Perrones
Young anime artist Bee Perrone lives with the rare condition, Ivemark Syndrome. Understanding this i...
My Perfect Family: CDKL5
Learning your new baby has a complex rare condition is life altering. Three Mums connect over their ...
My Perfect Family: Melody
Within just one year Melody entirely lost her vision, gave birth to her first child, and left her ho...
My Perfect Family: OCD
For two teenage sisters living with OCD, the world can often be an uncertain and scary place. In the...
My Perfect Family: The Priestleys
Four of the six Priestley family members live with Autism. Because they’re able to function at a hig...
My Perfect Family: Friedreich's Ataxia
Preparing for a 30th birthday is a big deal in the Boon family. Three out of five siblings live with...
My Perfect Family: Sam and Jason
Sam lost her sight as a baby due to meningitis, and her husband Jason has limited vision due to a ge...
My Perfect Family: Jo & Leon
Young doctor Jo Scott’s career was on the rise when a brain haemorrhage changed her life. Seven year...
My Perfect Family: Little People
The 50th annual conference for Little People of New Zealand (LPNZ) is fast approaching, and 27-year-...
My Perfect Family: Bold As Brass
As New Zealanders living in Australia, Abbi and Morgan Brass received no government support when the...
My Perfect Family: No Respite
Life during a pandemic is a challenge for all parents with kids at home. But for parents whose child...
My Perfect Family: Southland Lockdown
Awards Night is the highlight of the social calendar for a vulnerable workforce at Southland Disabil...
My Perfect Family: Trailer
Exploring the day today lives of tight-knit families, who are managing complex or unusual conditions...
My Perfect Family: Southland
Southland Disability Enterprises employs over 80 people who live with a disability. For Mary-Ellen J...
My Perfect Family: The Fergusons Part 2
Last week we met the Fergusons, a family of five who communicate using NZSL. Here, we join the Fergu...
My Perfect Family: The Fergusons Part 1
The Fergusons are an average family of five; they have fun, they fight, but mostly they get along. ...
My Perfect Family: Hunter
Hunter McGregor is a passionate gamer, a design school graduate, and he runs a B&B with his mum, Roi...
My Perfect Family: Kat and Ella
Kat Yearbury is a mother to two-year-old Frankie and six-year-old Ella, who has Cerebral Palsy and E...
My Perfect Family: Martine
Blind since birth, Martine Able-Williamson is now a global leader in the blind community. In this i...
My Perfect Family: Fragile X
To discover you’re the carrier of the genetic condition Fragile X only after your children are born ...
My Perfect Family: Candle Dad
Raising four children alone is a challenge - more so, when two have Down Syndrome. Tony Sykes rose t...
My Perfect Family: Zoe
Zoe Tate lives with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting her appearance, growth an...
My Perfect Family: Twins
For young mum Nikki Stokes being a mother of five means there's never a dull moment. With non-verbal...
My Perfect Family: Courtenay
Demar Gear was just five months old when she contracted meningitis, leaving her unable to walk or ta...
My Perfect Family: Family Man Graeme
When Graeme Porter was diagnosed with an intellectual disability as a child no one expected him to r...
My Perfect Family: Meet the Asners
They call themselves the "The Brady Bunch of Autism". Descendants of Hollywood royalty, Matt and Nav...
My Perfect Family: Welcome Home Stevie
Murray and Janine's son Steven was a gentle boy with autism. 18 months ago he left their house with ...
My Perfect Family: Cystic Sisters
Kristy and Nikki are sisters and young mums who bring smiles to the faces of strangers by doing surp...
My Perfect Family: Scruff's Bunch
Kim Preston (Scruff) reckon's she'll be caring for her three adult sons with Autism until she 'carks...
My Perfect Family: Creative Clan
Ranger Ashurst is eleven and needs regular injections to control his Chrone's disease, his eight yea...
My Perfect Family: Kim Preston
Raising three boys is always a big task, especially when two of them have severe autism. But Kim Pre...
Brothers and Sisters
The unique perspective of those closest to us, our brothers and sisters.
My Perfect Family: Mahia & Tipene
Mahia and Tipene Stephens were born with a congenital eye disorder, causing their eyesight to deteri...
My Perfect Family 2020
Exploring the day today lives of tight-knit families, who are managing complex or unusual conditions...
Mahia and Tipene Mahia and Tipene Stephens were born with the congenital eye disorder, Rod-cone Dystrophy, a condition that is causing their eyesight to deteriorate rapidly.
“6/6 is perfect vision, 6/60 is legally blind.” says Lane, “Mahia is 6/72. You’d get a bit of an idea of his vision if you looked through toilet rolls and put bubble wrap over the top.”
At first, the diagnosis of the boys were hard to come to terms with as Lane thought of all the experiences they would miss out on. But as they grow into young men, she is determined to foster their independence by teaching them important life skills and encouraging them to give everything a go.
“I wish I had millions of dollars and I could take them around the world and give them visual memories.”
“I wish I had millions of dollars and I could take them around the world and give them visual memories.” says Lane.
But instead, she works hard to give them the best experiences she can while they still have their sight.
“I don’t have to own lots of stuff and have a big flash house and car. I’ve got amazing children… that’s what’s important.”
From acting classes and Jiu-Jitsu lessons, to golfing and woodworking, the boys and their siblings Tia and Kaea try anything at least once.
Knowing Mahia would likely not get the opportunity to drive in his adult life, Lane has him drive go-karts to experience driving while it was still possible.
He takes on any new situation with gusto just like any other seven-year-old boy and track owner, Shawn modifies it to keep giving him a challenge.
“He memorises the track and he could drive it without seeing, so I change it” he says.
Both Mahia and Tipene do jujitsu as another outlet for their energy, but more importantly, Lane sees it as an opportunity to be a part of an awesome club, “a whanau outside of their own whanau.”
Mahia also takes piano lessons, “he might find it a little bit difficult to have structured lessons but once he’s got it he’s got it. Music is just in his being.” says Lane.
At 6/24, Tipene’s vision is better than Mahia’s but knows it will decrease over time. But that doesn’t stop him being a fiercely loyal young man.
“I wish for all of my children to be really happy in their adult life and I think with happiness is with connections and relationships.
My Perfect Family: Martine
Blind since birth, Martine Able-Williamson is now a global leader in the blind community. In this i...
Being Me Freedom
Freedom was diagnosed with eye cancer at three months old, having both eyes removed by age five. Now...
Being Me: Sarah
Though born with CHARGE syndrome, 22-year-old Sarah Dalton doesn’t let it define her. She’s an avid ...
My Perfect Family: Mahia & Tipene
Mahia and Tipene Stephens were born with a congenital eye disorder, causing their eyesight to deteri...
Being Me: Rachael Leahcar
Australian singer-songwriter, Rachael Leahcar, was born with retinitis pigmentosa and at 25-years-ol...
Blind Camp
Camping with young Kiwi blind kids. In an effort to build confidence, they're leaping out of their c...
Ese The Blind Musician
Music isn't just something you listen to; some people feel it emotionally and spiritually. Music is ...
Ese The Blind Musician
Music isn't just something you listen to; some people feel it emotionally and spiritually. Music is ...
Love Is Blind: Korin & Craig
When Korrin lost her hands and feet to septicaemia, Craig was by her side the whole time. Korrin had...
Love Is Blind: Ese & Sarah
It was a hug at a staff BBQ and Sarah was instantly smitten with Ese. Despite judgements from other ...
Love Is Blind: Ese & Sarah
It was a hug at a staff BBQ and Sarah was instantly smitten with Ese. Despite judgements from other ...
Love Is Blind: Don & Rosemary
Don and Rosemary have been married for more than 60 years. Although they are both vision impaired, t...
Love Is Blind: Tim & Helen
Tim was a professional athlete with the Wheel Blacks and didn't want a girlfriend. But when Helen he...
Love Is Blind: Mike & Rebecca
Mike and Rebecca have learning disabilities but that hasn't stopped them from getting married and li...
My Perfect Family: Sam and Jason
Sam lost her sight as a baby due to meningitis, and her husband Jason has limited vision due to a ge...
Being Me: Ming Ming
Blind since birth, Ming Ming has never let that stop him being involved in everything from cricket t...
Being Me: Ivan
Profoundly blind acupuncturist and radio enthusiast, Ivan, is 72 years old. He’s never let his disab...
Inside Outside: Josh Davies
Josh Davies is a stand-up comedian, a proud cat dad, and he only has about 15% vision in his one goo...
My Perfect Family: Melody
Within just one year Melody entirely lost her vision, gave birth to her first child, and left her ho...
Being Me: Josh Davies
26-year-old Josh Davies is a stand-up comedian trying to turn making people laugh into a full time l...
Being Me: Josh Davies
26-year-old Josh Davies is a stand-up comedian trying to turn making people laugh into a full time l...
Being Me: Susan Williams 8/5/22
Non-binary performance artist Susan Williams adores theatre. Their latest show, Illegally Blind, is ...
Being Me: Steff Green
Author Steff Green writes full-time from her home in the Kaipara Harbour. Legally blind, Steff was o...
