Diana was appointed as a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order (QSO) in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours for her more than 30 years of service supporting many, many children with cancer and their families throughout New Zealand.
Diana’s reaction to the announcement was typically humble. “I had no idea I was nominated. I think I’m the winner all round here with the wonderful people we’ve come to know and love. My husband Robbie and I are the privileged ones, meeting the parents, the children, the staff and volunteers, we have, from every walk of life.”
Diana said the award also belonged to her husband of 57 years, Andrew Robinson for his endless support and to her parents’ memory.
CEO Neil Porteous has had the pleasure of meeting Diana and says there couldn’t be a more deserving person to receive the Queen’s Birthday Honour.
The Foundation has already recognised Diana’s generosity and tireless efforts in Christchurch by making her a life member back in 2001 so it is only fitting that the nation now also acknowledges her great work.
Diana’s work helping children with cancer began through a link to her successful career writing children’s books. Her most widely acclaimed book was ‘The Magic of Storytime’. Diana donated the royalties from her nine published books to Child Cancer, which in those days was a developing parents’ support group known as the Hope Group.
It was while working with the Hope Group that someone pointed out a child to Diana and said ‘that little girl’s not going to make Christmas’.
“It was October. She didn’t make Christmas but I was determined she should have a Christmas celebration and so I put on a party for her in October. And that was how our annual Christmas party was born,” Diana says.
Diana and Andrew’s annual Christmas party for the children, families and friends of the Child Cancer Foundation is a huge and much anticipated event on the social calendar. About 300 people attend the festive occasion each year which is held on a lifestyle block at Yaldhurst.
Diana ensures that no detail is left wanting nor expense spared at this magnificent event, all designed to offer the children some delight and respite from their sickness.
A huge decorated marquee is erected and everything you can imagine is available for the children – face painting, merry-go-rounds, pony rides, a bouncy castle, presents handed out by Father Christmas, a barbeque lunch, and to finish off, two Mr Whippy trucks arrive and the children can choose any ice-cream creation they desire.
The next generation of Robinsons get involved, too. Diana and Andrew have four adult children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. It has become a family tradition for the Robinson offspring to go out and buy and wrap all the gifts for the children and families attending.
Daughter Debby Heard is a professional photographer with her own business and photographs the event each year.
The Christmas party is Diana’s favourite day of the year. “It’s one of the few things that can lift my spirits for the whole year. I wish every working day was like that; it’s just an amazing day. The children seem happier than other children and they appreciate the simple, good things in life,” she says.
Aside from the Christmas party, Diana and Andrew support CCF and its families in many other ways. In the early days of getting CCF established, they held many auctions at their private residence and Diana always helped organise the annual golf tournament, donating all the prizes.
Andrew and Diana helped raise two million dollars for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Christchurch 15 years ago. It was the first time a private interest had ever put a unit into a public hospital at no expense to the taxpayer.
The generous couple always make a significant donation to CCF’s annual Appeal, while different family members volunteer on the streets to collect on the Foundation’s behalf.
And in years gone by, if Diana had heard of a family or child having a bad day, she would turn up at Christchurch Hospital or the Foundation’s Family Place with gifts for the children and make-overs for the mothers.
On one memorable occasion Diana rang up CCF’s Family Support team and asked how many teenagers with cancer were in hospital. She then arrived with five television sets – one for each and every one of them!
At 78 years-old Diana may be less mobile than she used to be but she refuses to retire from being the Foundation’s very own fairy godmother. When she heard of six year-old Ripeka Manawatu’s and her mother Tania’s double cancer diagnosis last year she fossicked about in her drawer and found a special gold bracelet, set aside for children with cancer, to pass on to Ripeka who loves jewellery. The kind and considerate patron also had a special pink wrist corsage sent to Ripeka’s mother, Tania, to wear at the Chandon Supper Club charity event.
Diana says there have been many rewarding moments doing charitable deeds for CCF but she remembers one particularly satisfying instance.
“There was a very sick little boy that I knew and it was apparent this Angel could die at any minute. But incredibly he didn’t, he survived and he went on to become a doctor,” she smiles.
And for this very caring and compassionate woman, that’s what her help is all about; making a difference to the lives of children with cancer.
And in years gone by, if Diana had heard of a family or child having a bad day, she would turn up at Christchurch Hospital or the Foundation’s Family Place with gifts for the children and make-overs for the mothers.
Anyway, I noticed you are making beads for the Beads of Courage programme and my little girl who is now 6 has been collecting beads since she was diagnosed in June 2007. She is now nearly done with her leukemia treatment and to date she has collected probably around 1,000 beads. I’m not really sure as I haven’t counted them recently. She simply loves her beads and have taken them to school for a show and tell and we recently started with sibling beads for Bianca’s little sister.