Sweet tale for brother

SARAH CODDINGTON

It's not so long since Joshua Haythornthwaite struggled to take just a single breath.

Now the four-year-old is first to bound out of his bedroom to greet visitors to his home in Hillcrest with "Joshua's book".

Older brother Luke, 12, wrote `Taniwha's First Ice Cream' for Joshua when he was spending a lot of time in Starship Children's Hospital.

"I think it brightened him up while he was sick," Luke says.

The story was published last year and $2 from each book sold goes towards the hospital.

One of the main characters in the book is called Josh, after Joshua – a boy who meets a taniwha who lives in a swamp.

The taniwha ate children until he discovered icecream and the two become friends. The book mentions Luke's old school, Sunnybrae Normal School.

It teaches children about good morals and friendship, Luke says.

"I wanted to write a story for Joshua when he was sick.

"Most of my friends' little brothers weren't having to go into hospital like him.

"I felt sorry for him not being able to play," he says.

The book is dedicated to Joshua and other children struggling with health challenges.

Joshua was three months old when he was diagnosed with supraglottic collapse.

People grow out of the rare condition gradually but it caused one of Joshua's airways to collapse and he requires ongoing checkups.

Joshua wore a special mask for 18 months to help him breathe and underwent numerous treatments.

He still has asthma as a result of the condition.

His mother Lisa, who is a nurse, knew something wasn't right when she took her youngest son home.

"Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong for ages.

"We were in survival mode just going in and out of Starship," she says.

"Looking at him now you would never guess he was a very sick baby," Lisa says.

Go online to www.taniwhasfirsticecream.co.nz to buy a copy of Taniwha's First Ice Cream. Copies cost $19.97. and $2 is donated to Starship Children's Hospital.

- © Fairfax NZ News