Le Grice, Le Grys et al.

Reflections - Margie Le Grice He mihi nui ki a koutou He mihi nui ki nga whanau i hoatu he taonga nui ki a matou. Tena koutou katoa.

My name is Margie Le Grice. I am from a family of nine children. I am married with one child. Prior to receiving my precious gift, I was a third year student at the Christchurch College of Education and ten weeks away from graduating when I was struck down by a 'flu virus. I'd always thought I was a fit and healthy person, I didn't smoke, I played sport, ate the right foods and was only a moderate drinker. What I wasn't prepared for was when I was told I would only have 6-12 months to live unless I had a transplant. It was my son's 5th birthday and I was in hospital. Slowly my health worsened and eventually I had to give up what little pride I had and ask for help. I became housebound. When I received the call, my first reaction was a sigh of relief. A sigh of relief because the waiting was over. It was my son's 6th birthday and I was in hospital again. A new challenge had begun. The challenge is not to take life for granted but to live life. At present I am teaching English to 9-13 year olds at a TKKM school. I go to the gym every weekday and play indoor netball once a week. I almost completed the Round the Bays run, even though I walked most of the way - 7kms. I completed a 5km walkathon with my son. Although netball may be out for the next six weeks (ankle injury) I still managed to go to the gym during the week. I am very grateful to my Donor family for giving me this extra time to spend with my family. My son's 7th birthday came and went, and no, I wasn't in hospital. I would now like to sing you a song I have written.

Let me tell you a story of an amazing family How they gave the gift of life to another family Though at the time they did not know The gift was for me The gift of life to me

I've been given a second chance to live my life And I decided long ago, not to fight 'cause life is so precious to me The gift of life to me

Hold on to what you've got Hold on to what you have You don't know what you're missing Till, it's gone The precious life is gone.

Margie's story Margie Le Grice was a fit, healthy and active young mother. She was in her last year of teacher training in Christchurch and on a school placement in Auckland when she was laid low by the 'flu. Her illness lingered, so she decided a trip to the doctor was in order. She delivered her son to Kohanga Reo and went to the appointment. The doctor's visit didn't go well. Margie was told the 'flu had damaged her heart, that her left ventricle was damaged and that without a heart transplant, her life expectancy was 6-12 months. "I was in shock. I'd never been that sick so I couldn't understand how this could be true. I thought nah this can't be right, if I go to the hospital they'll fix it," she says. Instead, she was put on the fast track waiting list for a new heart and so began a year-long waiting game. Margie's health deteriorated and her days revolved around summoning the energy to get out of bed in the morning to get her son ready for Kohanga Reo, returning to bed for the day to sleep and attempting to be up to welcome her son home in the afternoon. "That was my life for 11 months. It was totally soul destroying. I was watching my family watching me literally die before their eyes," Margie says. The phone call to say a heart was available came one afternoon when Margie's husband was out. "When our son was about to be born, we had a code word "It's time". So when I rang my husband that's all I said. I think my reaction surprised people, I was very calm. We were prepared for the worst but hoping for the best." After an eight-hour surgery, Margie once again had a healthy heart. "My own heart valves were healthy so the surgeons were able to retrieve them for someone else. I thought, I'm getting someone's heart so the least I can do is to give someone my valves." Three months later after rest, recuperation and learning how to manage her new heart, Margie returned home. "This is my second chance at life so I look at it a bit differently now. When I took on the heart, I took on the responsibility of keeping myself healthy and doing the right thing." It's a promise that Margie is keeping - she's a full-time teacher, does Tae Kwando and coaches both soccer and basketball. She is also her school's Kapa Haka tutor. "Life is full," she says, in a very understated way. She doesn't know the details of her donor and hasn't asked. "I send cards on the anniversary of my transplant and for the holiday season and remain very grateful for my precious gift of life." Margie believes that while cultural and religious factors will always make the decision to donate a loved ones organs hard for some people, remembering that the person they have lost lives on in their memory is the key to securing more donors. "The person they are losing is still within themselves," she says.

Margies Kapa Haka groups win. The finale, a brand new talent, began their journey from nowhere to top-flight competition winners in January this year. They are the Papatoetoe Intermediate School Kapahaka group. As a way of teaching discipline, team spirit, respect for ones peers and the value of hard work, Coach Margie Le Grice has found the answer. Tuakana Teina – a teaching method where the kids teach each other. She’s a first year teacher, and this is her first Kapahaka group. Four years ago she survived a heart transplant operation and if she doesn’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘the meaning of life,’ nobody does. When the group started and she chose the leaders, Margie went around, strumming her guitar and putting her ear close to the mouths of all the young hopefuls. The two she chose sang very quietly, but their voices were true. Nine months later, after tons of hard work, plenty of tellings off and the inevitable tears, she’d transformed the 32 girls and 8 boys into a team that won the poi, haka and discipline sections to take the Overall Winners Trophy at the Te Atatu Cultural Competition. Tears, this time of pride flowed freely from all the Papatoetoe supporters. “How did you know our kids could do that?” demanded the parents of the leaders. “ I knew,” said Margie. “I just knew.”

Source : http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0311/S00079.htm

Elizabeth Margaret Le Grice Margie sent me a text at midnight on 31st December 2011 reading "Yey, another year!!" She had made the decision to have a 2nd heart transplant indicating an irrepressible will to go on living. Sadly a heart attack ruined her plans and she passed away on Jan 3, 2012. Her tangi drew together family and friends from many walks of life and the numbers showed the mana and respect held by so many people. I will miss her hugely as a lovable daughter-in-law. Rex Le Grice

This notice was placed in the NZ Herald just once but weeks later people are still offering condolences.

LE GRICE, Elizabeth Margaret (Margie) (nee Raharaha). On Tuesday 3 January 2012, suddenly of a heart attack at her home in Point England, Auckland. Margie was the loving wife of Justin Le Grice and devoted mother to James (Hemi) Courtier Raharaha Le Grice. She was the fourth daughter of the late Penetereo (Brass) Raharaha and Elizabeth Watene Raharaha and sister to Addie (deceased), Mihi, Selina, Daniel (Brass Jnr),Dottie, Arnold, Belinda, Tau and sister-in-law to their partners. She was also a proud aunt to all her nieces and nephews. Margie was a much loved and well-respected daughter-in- law of Rex and Bonny Le Grice and Neville Blampied and sister-in-law to Meredith Blampied and good friend to many of her past pupils and teachers. Thanks is given to the many staff at Green Lane Hospital for their exceptional care over the last twelve years Margie will be lying in at Pehiaweri Marae, 99 Ngunguru Rd, Whangarei from 4pm Wednesday 4 January. The funeral service is being held at the Marae on Saturday 7 January at 11am and Margie will be laid to rest at Maunu Cemetery, Whangarei at 12.30pm. Contact can be made to the Marae Ph 09 437 0833