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National

Wahakura provides peace of mind in aftermath of earthquake

The health and safety benefits of using a flax bassinet to help prevent SUDI is the focus of Whakawhetu national organisation. Following the Kaikōura earthquake, weavers from throughout the country donated 36 flax bassinets to families affected by the earthquake.

It's a gift made with love, this flax bassinet (wahakura) that's been donated to baby Ayla-Rose. The Kaikōura earthquake is still fresh in this mother's mind.

“I was freaking out I couldn’t get to her I just saw her drawer fly across her room it landed a couple of inches from her cot and just went into commando mode just army crawled across the ground ripped her up by the scruff of her neck threw her under my arm  bolted down stairs,” says Jaegan Taylor.

On top of the health and safety benefit of a wahakura as a preventative method of SUDI, this mother says it provides peace of mind that her baby is asleep right next to her.

“Just having that just being able to keep her in arms reach, so handy being so portable. It is nice knowing that they are right there in the middle of the night you feel a shake get ready to grab her of thing.”

36 wahakura were donated from weavers throughout New Zealand.

Wahakura Coordinator Lisa Kahu says, “Thank you to all of those weavers around Aotearoa that sent us these wahakura they are all woven with love. We are incredibly grateful to be able to offer this to our whānau.”