Personal Stories

Home » About Us » Personal Stories

We’ve helped people achieve their goals

Our home support and community services have enabled people to live in their own homes, stay healthy and engage socially with others. Read some of their stories below.

Enliven Counties Manukau Day Programme for people with dementia, physical activity, dancing, movement

Lance Fairburn: A Job with a Purpose

Lance left a career in banking to become a support worker at our Day Service and he’s never been so happy! He wakes up with a smile every morning, and goes to work with a spring in his step.

Read more

Mya’s Story: Walking Towards Her Dreams

Thirteen-year-old Mya was born with cerebral palsy. Her doctors thought she’d never walk on her own. But last year the bright and spirited girl amazed everyone when she ditched her walker.

Read more

Mya’s story

Mya is matter-of-fact about her disabilities, the result of brain damage at birth. “I have cerebral palsy and sometimes I have seizures,” she says. Like many little girls her age, Mya loves singing, drama and drawing.

Read more

Ruby-Jean’s story

With her ankle in a plaster cast, Ruby-Jean couldn’t manage crutches and needed someone to push her wheelchair. ACC referred her to Enliven who matched her with support worker Sisavaii.

Read more

Jean’s story

At age 6, Jean contracted scarlet fever which affected her hearing and led to bone infections. Now in her 80s, she is profoundly deaf, and has osteoarthritis in all her joints. “I spent many years in hospitals, supposedly dying..."

Read more

Betty’s story

Betty had an Enliven support worker who helped her manage life on her own. When Marlene took on a six-week walking challenge, she encouraged Betty to give it a go too by counting her steps every day.

Read more