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VOL: 1 • NO. 8
TUESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2018
Local hero medal for Pukekohe midwife Pukekohe Lead Maternity Caregiver (LMC) community midwife, Claire Eyes has come away with an incredible award, being named a Kiwibank Local Hero, at a medal presentation ceremony late last month. By Yana O’Gorman - yana@districtspost.media “It was so exciting when I received the letter from Kiwibank stating I had been selected out of a huge number of applicants,” she said. The award was recognition for services to midwifery with the local community and the Pacific Islands. Claire has been a practicing midwife for 40 years, mostly in the Franklin area. Over the years, Claire estimates she has delivered well over 2000 babies. “I used to keep records of all the births, but stopped about 10 years ago. I would hazard a guess at over 2000,” she said. There have been a number of people who approach her and say, ‘You delivered me,’ Claire said. “As wonderful as that is, it does show how long I have been assisting mums and babies. I am now also starting to journey with these young people having their first babies.” “What I most like about being an LMC, is that journeying with the woman from the first time you meet, right through to seeing her and her partner with their new baby, and starting the parenting journey themselves. It is a really special privilege to be part of that journey, with all the ups and downs that go with it,” she said. It’s not always easy being a midwife, and the hours are long. “It is extremely rewarding but also very hard on the family as you are often called away,” she said. “You have to have a really supportive and understanding family to stay an LMC for a long time.” Claire firstly trained as a general nurse. “I worked in Intensive Care, and then in the general surgical ward for a couple of years. I felt I would like to try Midwifery.” She was part of a programme at Waikato Women’s Hospital. “There were only 12 of us in that first Midwifery programme, and as it was a trial to see if this would be the new direction for training midwives, there was a lot of pressure on us to perform well.” They all did well, with Claire’s class of Midwifery students becoming pioneers for the new training of midwives at that time. Claire’s Kiwibank Local Hero Medal was also due to her work with midwives in the Pacific, something that stemmed from Rotary International. A grant was awarded to enable Pacific midwives to travel to Australia to undertake leadership skills and update their midwifery knowledge over a two week intensive course. Claire was selected as team leader, to look after and interpret for them. “This was a huge experience for me,” she said. “Many of the midwives were from very isolated islands, most had never been outside their countries.” The midwives had a ‘wish list’ of things that could be provided to help them and the women in their countries have better outcomes. One from the Tongan Island of Ha’apai had a list of basic clothes for baby. “That struck a chord for me,” Claire said. “Whereas many of the other midwives had put on their lists, stethoscopes, incuba-
Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff, and Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich, with Claire Eyes, (centre). PHOTO: SUPPLIED tors and other expensive items, this midwife just needed basic clothing to keep the baby warm.” That led to Claire creating packages of newborn clothing, toiletry items, nappies and toys, a project which has been supported by people in the Franklin Community and the Rotary Club of
Franklin, over the past three years. “In November each year, the 50 packs are shipped to Nuku’alofa. The midwives send photos back of the beaming smiles from the mothers receiving their pack when their baby is born.” Well done on your award Claire, you are very deserving!
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