Donor Story: Brian Bell

When Brian Bell was diagnosed with lymphoma more than a decade ago, his first concern was for his family. Money was tight; with the added burden of starting chemotherapy, transport and medical costs, the last thing he needed was to be worrying about his family’s future.

Which is when his good friends stepped in. Greg Anderson and Noel Glass rallied the close-knit community of Fairlie in the Mackenzie Country, South Canterbury, and raised a good amount of money to support Brian and his family. With the cancer treatment, Brian was too ill to work, and even when the outlook improved, he wasn’t able to work for several years. The generosity of the community went a long way to allay fears for his family’s future.

Thankfully the public health system and the Cancer Society were extremely good. In time, and with a change in circumstances due to some business interests, Brian found he didn’t need the money the same as when he was first ill. With a deep gratitude to the Fairlie community and a wish to give back in some way, he went searching — and discovered Aoraki Foundation through a conversation with Greg.

“I’m very grateful and very humbled by the kindness that was shown to us at a time when we were pretty stretched financially. I always said I’d like to give it back, and Greg said to me about the Aoraki Foundation that he’d recently become involved with. It seemed the best vehicle for it, and allows it to grow in perpetuity.”

As luck would have it, Aoraki Foundation chief executive Richard Spackman had recently spoken with the Mackenzie Area Community Trust about taking over administration of their local fund. Brian and the Trust both had the purpose to support their local community, so he made the decision to pool his money with theirs for the new Mackenzie Charitable Fund. This would provide for health, welfare, and the alleviation of hardship across the local Mackenzie region.

Brian was delighted to have found such a great vehicle for giving back to the community that gave to him in his time of need. With the Aoraki Foundation’s management, the money will be grown for the future and used for many years to come.