Three-year-old Tutemaungaroa "Tu" Hillman has been busy in the last couple of weeks ticking experiences off his bucket list.
He has been horse riding, been for a drive in a Holden and helped drive a maize harvester. He's also been for a ride in a police car and fire truck, met a police dog and gone up in a few helicopters.
At the age of two he was diagnosed with pineoblastoma, a rare and aggressive brain cancer.
It was thought he was in the clear, but his latest MRI a couple of weeks ago showed his cancer is back. Four rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation haven't killed it.
Mum Abbey Hillman created a Givealittle page earlier this month to get help trying to make her boy's dreams come true.
Breakfast surprised Tu, mum Abbey and husband Ben, his four brothers and sister on Wednesday morning.
At their emergency accommodation in Whakatāne, the family was surprised with a car full of toys from The Warehouse and a host of experiences.
Host Jenny-May Clarkson said it was a privilege to be a part of the surprise which came about with the help of Tu's uncle, Elias.
"We're just here from the team at Breakfast. We just wanted you to know that we're here with love and support for all of you, given what you've been through in the last little bit," she said.
"It's just amazing, thank you," Abbey said.
"Mōrena, I'm good," Tu managed to get out amid his excitement at the toys.
It has been a tough time for the Hillman whānau.
They have been living in emergency accommodation since Tu's treatment ended in July last year. They are finally moving into a permanent home today.
The Hillmans lost their Hawke's Bay home and its contents when they spent a year in Auckland during Tu's treatment at Starship in Auckland.
"Much better. Heaps more space for the kids," dad Ben said of the family's new home.
"Pretty stressful at times," he remarked of the last year-and-a-half.
"I'm pretty hardened in my ways, you could say. Probably won't break until the day, so just stay solid," he said of Tu's terminal illness.
Tu's uncle Elias told Breakfast he was appreciative of the team's help and all of the "overwhelming" support the family had received from the community recently.
He said his brother and sister-in-law are strong.
"It has come with its emotional traumas as well, knowing we don't have long with Tu. We don't know how long he's got left.
"It's amazing how they've held strong to get through despite what's happening in the world and Covid going around that this has come on their lives and how they can have the endurance to get through it all."
The Hillmans have received, courtesy of Breakfast and other businesses:
- Accommodation at Novotel Rotorua
- Petrol vouchers
- Redwoods Treewalk day and night experience
- Volcanic Air float plane ride
- Rotoiti hot pools visit
- Agrodome farm experience
- Trout fishing experience at Ngongotahā Trout Hatchery
- Seeing the lions at Paradise Valley Springs
- A kiwi experience in Napier
- Skyline Rotorua
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