Ōtorohanga firefighters (from left) Tony Russel, Rose de Haan, Sai Rahim and Remko Pootjes are taking on the Sky Tower’s stairs this weekend in the name of raising funds for the Leukaemia Blood Cancer charity. Photos supplied
Firefighters from King Country volunteer brigades are gearing up to tackle New Zealand’s tallest building this weekend in the name of charity – with one firefighter honouring a young local who lost his cancer battle last year.
The Firefighter Sky Tower challenge raises funds for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand to care for patients and their families, as well as researching a cure.
More than $13 million has been raised in total; this year alone participants have raised about $1 million.
Ōtorohanga volunteer firefighter Remko Pootjes carries a photo of a local affected by leukaemia on his cylinder when he competes.
This year he will honour Sam Ellis (Tubman) who lost his short battle with leukaemia on July 24 last year, aged 23.
Sam’s first cancer diagnosis came in 2019 while he was at the University of Canterbury: osteosarcoma in his ribcage.
Following “extremely gruelling” surgeries and treatments which ceased in mid-2020, Sam worked one day a week at Ōtorohanga Automotive and set up a business making and selling candles through multiple giftware stores, including Moss and Co.
Then, just a week before Christmas in 2021, he was diagnosed with leukaemia.
He spent the holiday on a ventilator in a coma.
His mum, Bronwyn, said Sam was an amazing kid who fought hard and never complained.
“He lost his battle way too early.”
She said the hospital workers who supported and cared for Sam did not get enough credit for their efforts and they saved his life that Christmas.
“The hospital team were amazing and loved Sam, he was one in a million, and they worked so hard to try for a different [final] outcome.”
They received gifts from Sam following his death, including fans and coffee vouchers.
Sam detailed his cancer journey on Facebook.
Last April he posted to share that with just a 5% chance of a bone marrow transplant working, his cancer treatment was coming to an end.
“Now I plan to actually enjoy my time alive instead of being miserable trying to reach a point of cure that just isn’t realistic. Ultimately, even if I could cure the [leukaemia], my other cancer is likely to do me in anyway,” he wrote.
“My goal now is to do all the travelling I can and fit in a lifetime of great experiences. I’ve had the chance to do some amazing things over the past two years, but there is definitely a lot more that I want to do and see.”
An online fundraiser to help fund Sam’s bucket list raised $24,301 in three months.
He was able to spend about a week in Thailand before his health deteriorated enough that he had to return home.
Sam also spent a day at Hampton Downs in the passenger seat of a drift car belonging to Central Drift Team.
Sam’s mum said she wanted more awareness about leukaemia.
The type of leukaemia he had, acute myeloid leukaemia, is thought to be most common in adults older than 50 years old.
But Bronwyn said with an unprecedented number of young people fighting it, leukaemia is not an old person’s disease.
Firefighters from around the country will take to the Sky Tower’s stairs on Saturday to do their bit in supporting the cancer fight.
Four firefighters from Ōtorohanga will participate; Remko Pootjes, Tony Russell, Saiwan Rahim and Rose de Haan.
Rowan Moorhouse from Piopio is also participating.
Donations can be made online.
