“Superstars!!” – That’s what Kyla calls the Bellyful volunteers who helped her whānau through some of their hardest days. With a newborn in hospital and a toddler at home, Bellyful meals gave her family something they desperately needed: time together.
When Kyla’s newborn daughter was diagnosed with severe reflux and couldn’t gain weight, the family’s life was suddenly filled with stress, sleepless nights, and long hospital stays.
“My daughter had horrid reflux and wasn’t able to gain weight which led to a feeding tube and many weeks in hospital,” Kyla shares.
In the thick of it all, with a newborn, an 18-month-old, and a husband who had to navigate life around hospital visits, Bellyful stepped in with the kind of help that truly mattered.
“Bellyful meant my husband could have readymade meals as partners aren’t fed in the children’s ward,” Kyla says. “It meant he could come to the hospital after work, instead of having to go home and cook a meal. We had a few nights of takeaways but that quickly got too expensive.”
For a young family juggling so much, the relief of a warm, home-cooked meal meant more time together and less stress trying to keep everything going. It also meant Kyla was able to spend more time with her toddler.
When asked what she wants others to know about Bellyful, Kyla is quick to praise the people behind the meals.
“It’s run by generous and kind volunteers.”
And to those volunteers, she has just one word: “Superstars!!”
