Help Vyron Stay Strong
Donation protected
For Vyron it's always been about putting others before himself. In my eyes, he is the epitome of sacrifice, unconditional love and care, true brotherly love.
I know this because - Three years ago I was seriously obese, unhealthy, mentally struggling, weighing in at 200 + kg with a couple of heart attacks under the belt and still only 36 years old.
To say the very least, I was not in a good way health wise, so in true Vyron fashion, he and his partner Es without question, jumped on a plane and moved their entire life to Melbourne.
Fast forward three years and I am the healthiest I have ever been in my life.
Vyron changed the way I ate, got me moving and focused my energy towards what was most important. He saved me.
Another prime example is that of our dad, who for the last decade has struggled with Diabetes and then Kidney disease. Without question or thought again, Vyron came to the aid of our father and tried to get him healthy through movement and eating better.
Dad got to the point of needing a Kidney transplant and through two years of mental and physical challenges, one year ago, Vyron donated one of his kidneys to our dad, saving another life.
Here are some interviews around the Kidney transplant - shedding light on Kidney Health/Disease
These decisions come naturally to him, helping others has been ingrained in who he is since he was young boy and his passion for hauora doesn't just extend to his 10 years of knowledge and education in health and wellness but his lived experience through action, his unconditional love and support for people and his desire for all to live their best life!
After the transplant and returning home to Tauranga Moana, Vyron set up ‘Trust Your Puku’. This space was developed to raise awareness, educate and motivate people around being proactive with their health, building a community of change and inspiring all to make those changes to prevent diseases such as Heart and Kidney disease.
But on the 30th August, Vyron was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called aHUS or Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which unfortunately has been attacking his one Kidney.
He was airlifted from Tauranga to Waikato Hospital and endured 10 straight days of Plasma transfusions.
Speaking to him online was emotional, seeing his health deteriorate and his mana barely intact. It was hard to witness.
As hard as this trial was for Vyron, he still remained the same. Always asking me how I am, how my wife and kids are, how my health and fitness are going.
In a hospital bed, on the verge of death and dispair and going through his toughest tribulation and the worst he has ever been health wise, my little brother remained determined to help others and inspire positive change in people.
This is a very rare disease which requires heavy medication and the potential of ongoing plasma transfusions. Today he is stable and is optimistic about his future and fighting this disease.
Vyron has two options:
Get the medication from USA, as it is not funded in Aotearoa - which will cost $670k per year
Or move back to Australia where the treatment might be rebated through Medicare
Both of these options require sacrifice and realistically a lot of putea. Alongside this Vyron has been unable to work and pursue his dreams since the transplant, the recovery process and now AHUS.
This page has been setup for those who wish to donate money to support Vyron so he can continue to live a sustainable life himself, as well as continue to support and inspire others to live healthy lives.
If you can’t donate putea, we encourage you to please donate Blood or Plasma to these amazing organisations that save so many lives in Aotearoa and Australia like Vyron's.
Nga mihi nui,
Vyron's older brother Jah
Fundraising team (3)
Jah Smith
Organizer
Raised $7,133 from 81 donations
Bay of Plenty
Esther Keown
Beneficiary
Taite Smith
Team member
Raised $848 from 9 donations
Lydia ODonnell
Team member
Raised $620 from 15 donations
This team raised $57,835 from 970 other donations.
