Family of teenager Drazei Kerehoma who died suddenly in the Cook Islands starts fundraising to cover expenses

The family of a Hawke’s Bay teenager who died suddenly while on holiday in Rarotonga are aiming to raise $9,000 to send his body to New Zealand.

Mary Kerehoma said her son, Drazei Kerehoma, 15, was an active and healthy child before he developed a cough on Wednesday last week.

The cough turned into chest pain that Thursday and he died in his sleep just hours later.

Mary Kerehoma’s cousin, Andrea Hemopo, created a Givealittle page to raise money to cover the costs of repatriating the body and funeral expenses.

“Due to the sudden tragedy, our cousin (needs) help to get her beautiful son Drazei back to New Zealand as soon as possible,” she wrote.

“All koha received will go towards the cost of bringing Drazei home to his whānau and funeral expenses.”

As of 1:00 pm Thursday, just over $2,000 of the $9,000 goal had been donated.

Kerehoma told RNZ his son was always healthy, but developed a cough on Wednesday.

“That child was never sick,” he said before.

“(He was) just active, healthy, so it’s a big shock to know that that could happen to a healthy person.”

He said at the time local doctors suspected the cause of death was likely related to blood clots.

She said Hawke’s Bay today She was contacted by the New Zealand High Commission in the Cook Islands after a family member contacted them.

The New Zealand High Commission had offered “moral support”, “advice” or “guidance”, but not financial assistance.

“The high commissioner called me today and told me that they couldn’t finance me to take my son home. They said the government will not help,” Kerehoma said.

In a Facebook post shared on a Cook Islands holiday page, Mary thanked the local community for their support.

“I would like to share this post in recognition of the beautiful people of Rarotonga who shared their love and support over the sudden loss of our boy on (May 2). Please know from us that he is greatly appreciated. Meitaki maata,” he said.

“A special meitaki to our funeral director, Leelash Chandar, for the incredible preparation of our son and for ensuring that our son did not suffer any pain and died peacefully in his sleep.”

He Cook Islands News reported that Kerehoma and her new husband, Todd Bonner, who married in Rarotonga in May last year, arrived on the island on April 24 for a three-week family vacation with Drazei and her two nephews.

“I was excited for the nephews… I was happy running around, playing, and it was no different than any other day. He was doing the same activities, the same things that he did last year: swimming, kayaking, scuba diving, running.

“Even more so when he had his nephews, because the three of them are like brothers. There is not much age difference between them,” Mary told the newspaper.

“There was no complaint of anything, no pain or anything until that last day.”