Nurse and professor of Māori health facing her own diagnosis

Professor Jackie Kidd, a leading Māori health researcher and former nurse, shares her personal journey after being diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer at age 62. Despite decades of advocating for health equity—particularly in early bowel cancer screening for Māori and Pasifika populations—she faced systemic barriers in accessing timely care, ultimately securing a colonoscopy through private funding. Her memoir, *Ngā Kaurua*, reflects on the intersection of cancer, identity, racism, and the structural inequities within New Zealand’s health system. Kidd critiques the government’s decision to raise the screening age for all to 58 instead of lowering it for Māori and Pasifika, calling this a failure of equity rooted in a scarcity mindset and racial bias. She emphasizes how the health system’s siloed structure, lack of cultural safety, and distrust among Māori communities perpetuate disparities. Yet, she finds peace in her current reality, focusing on legacy through mentorship, advocacy, and presence with her whānau, offering a powerful model of resilience and calm in the face of mortality.