Tributes flow for the head girl of Kaitaia College who touched the hearts of many during her battle with cancer. Yesterday Te Amohaere Rudolph passed away and today she was given a fitting farewell from her school.
Teacher Alexandra Kingi reflects on his memories of Te Amohaere, “Her love for life was the most beautiful thing about. Her love for everything her strong belief and she was always happy. She was a friend to the juniors and all the seniors of this school and her loss has left a huge hole.”
In mid-2015 she was given nine months to live so Te Amohaere decided to end her chemotherapy treatment.
In a previous interview with Te Amohaere, she told Te Kāea, “That doesn’t necessarily mean I'm giving up. There’s a whole lot of alternatives and you know what doctors say. I’m definitely not one to give in, I mean even with the certain life expectancy who’s to say I can’t live another 20 years or 50 or even a hundred.”
Fellow prefect and Head Boy Reuben Allen said, “This girl kind of just pushed through walls and climbed over them. If they got erected she'd knock them down and just the hard work that she put in.”
Likened to a shooting star, at the school prizegiving last year she was made the head girl of Kaitaia College for 2017. Despite her serious illness, Te Amohaere was more concerned for others.
Te Amohaere said, “a number of kids I've met that know they’re not gonna make it. They know and their parents know too. It’s pretty hard you know but they still have a smile on their face and they still laugh and make their families happy. Death is a strange thing.”
Principle Jack Saxon says, “Te Amohaere would have said, smile Jack stay strong but smile and remember me and celebrate who I was and let that be a light to where you go next. So an amazing person.”
Her funeral service will be held next Monday at Te Ahu Centre in Kaitaia