In the spring of 2022, at the age of 19, Clemente noticed a lump. It wasn’t until May of 2023 that he received the diagnosis of a rare form of sarcoma. Clemente received excellent care from his medical team, undergoing a year and a half of multiple intense treatments, including major surgeries, two different types of chemotherapy and radiation. ‘Each time he did something, which was already a really difficult thing to do with heavy side effects... the aggressive cancer kept coming back.

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‘Because Clemente was 19 when this all started, he wasn’t considered a child, but he wasn’t an adult either. Medically, he was in a young adult category... He generously let us come to his appointments with him; he didn’t have to. But he knew we wanted to be there to support him, and mostly he allowed us to do that... And all at a time when he really just wanted to be out flatting with his friends, doing his own thing. We learned so much from him and how he handled the whole process, he was incredible.  He faced everything with so much dignity, he never complained about his situation or what he had to endure. He was always so strong, he just carried on, accepting each stage, even when options ran out. He was very inspiring.'

In January 2025, when Clemente was 21, he began studying Finance at Victoria University. ‘We were cautiously optimistic that things were going well, he was getting back into life and loving it. He had a good head for maths and money... he had so many exciting plans.’

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Clemente’s cancer came back again in May. At that point, they were told nothing more could be done. 'We took a very special family trip to Sydney, and Clemente managed to complete half of his second semester of university studies.' Clemente passed in September of 2025.

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‘It still doesn’t quite make sense to me. I still wake up every morning and have a few seconds of living my previous life, before I remember. It’s tough. We miss him a lot; all of us in different ways – whether you’re a mum, a dad, a sister, a girlfriend or a grandparent.’

Heidi’s experience with Kenzie’s Gift

Clemente’s younger sister, who was in high school at the time, received funded therapy sessions through Kenzie’s Gift. ‘I’m just so grateful, because there are such limited options for young people. The fact our daughter could receive the support she needed was just amazing. Our Kenzie’s Gift therapist, Gabriela, was wonderful. She had access to an incredible venue, on the cliffs in a suburb of Wellington. It felt safe, beautiful and natural, surrounded by bush. It was perfect, exactly what we needed. It was an oasis, away from it all; a haven for Clemente’s sister during this time.

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‘I think people don’t always realise how important mental health support is for those around the person who’s ill or dying. And for young people, that support is so specialised. We had a beautiful network of support... and Kenzie’s Gift was a really important part of that.’

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Heidi’s Winter Plunge for Kenzie’s Gift

Heidi began swimming regularly in the spring of 2024, as Clemente was undergoing treatment. She set herself the goal of getting in once a week through the summer. As summer waned, Heidi kept up the weekly swims at her local beach, curious to find out whether she could keep getting in the water as the weather changed. By spring, she’d done it. Weekly swims throughout the winter, and she’s continued ever since.  

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Heidi notes the physical, physiological and psychological benefits of being in the water regularly. ‘I have also attended talk therapy, and I’m an active person so I go to the gym and do other physical activities. These things plus church, community, friends, work colleagues and neighbours have carried me through. But I think for me personally, the thing that has kept me feeling like I could carry on is the cold-water swimming.

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‘Swimming brings me joy, it gives me peace... and really, the strength to carry on.

‘The morning that Clemente passed, he asked me to go and get him something from the store in town. The store opened at 7am and this was about 6am. So I thought I’ve got time, I’m going to have a quick swim before I go. By the time I got to the store, he had passed – my husband was with him. I wasn’t – because he had sent me on this special errand. I feel like it was where he wanted me to be... So this beach is very, very special to me.' 

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Heidi describes the way swimming connects her to a feeling of gratitude. ‘Gratitude is powerful. When I get in the water, I feel I’m grateful that my body can get in and stay there for a few minutes. I’m grateful that I’m alive. I’m grateful that my son was alive for the time he was. That laser focus when you enter the cold water? All I can do is breathe and try to feel grateful.’

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This winter, Heidi is turning her love of cold-water swimming into a gift for other young people by taking part in Kenzie’s Gift’s Big Winter Plunge campaign. ‘It feels as though the people who are supporting me are with me when I swim... I really do feel they’re going to be jumping in with me, which is so special.

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‘For me, if I can use my time to give back to Kenzie’s Gift so that another young person can receive the support we received, that’s extremely important to me.’

Kia kaha Heidi, we’re with you as you brave the cold this winter.  

Support Heidi’s winter swims for grieving tamariki and rangatahi here.  

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