Welcome to the Live Brave Mana Ora Creative Corner!
Got diabetes and got something to share? Send us your drawing, your creative writing, your song or photogrophy, and we’ll put it up here for others living with diabetes to enjoy.
Christmas Colouring Fun
Look who has landed on our Christmas tree! Kaha, our ruru owl decided he liked to be all colourful and bright on top.
Can you colour in the rest of the picture for us?
(Hey adults, can you print this out for colouring please).
The Koala Who Got Diabetes
Written by Isla Henry Aged 8 Years
Once upon a time there was a Koala called Isla Henry. She developed Type 1 diabetes. She got it when she was 3 years old.
She does not know how she got it. It just happens. Yes, you have it for your whole life.
She says, “You will get used to it soon, like I did.
It’s ok if you do have diabetes, you are so, so very special.
If you have needles, I know they might hurt, I used to have them too, but you get used to them. Now I have a pump and a sensor, which I find easier.
I love my life and you will love your life too.
Sometimes it might be scary, but you can be strong… more than me. I know you can do this, you are brave and strong.
You are amazing, you are kind and strong and brave and resilient. Just remember, you are so, so special!”
March 2022: We had an absolute blast with the Live Brave Mana Ora colouring competition!
To celebrate the launch of our rebranded Live Brave Mana Ora youth programme, we invited diabetes youth under 12 to enter a colouring competition.
Congratulations to our winners!
We hope you enjoyed creating your art as much as we enjoyed judging it. Here are the winners!
6 - 9 category Winner: Ash Leung aged 8 Honourable mentions go to: Ashi Sharma and Lilah Rako
10 - 12 category Winner: Charlotte Zhao aged 10 Honourable mentions go to: Larissa Currie and Jesse Storey
0–5 category
Winner: Anaya Sharma aged 2.5
Honourable mentions go to: Caylee Zhao and Grayson Hunter
10–12 category
Winner: Charlotte Zhao aged 10
Honourable mentions go to: Larissa Currie and Jesse Storey
6–9 category
Winner: Ash Leung aged 8
Honourable mentions go to: Ashi Sharma and Lilah Rako
MedStyle - Diabetes Accessories patch design competition for Diabetes Action Month 2021
Twelve-year-old Sophia Shearman couldn’t believe it when she won our competition to design a sensor patch.
Sophia entered the Design for Diabetes competition – a partnership between Medstyle and Diabetes New Zealand – because she loves to draw (along with acro and working out). She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2020 and has been using a FreeStyle Libre sensor, which the patch she created is perfect for covering.
The design competition invited people under 16 to design a sensor patch that showed what ‘Living Brave’ means to them. It was judged by musical duo Vince and Abby Lee Harder, whose daughter has type 1 diabetes.
