Melinda Bennett was an inspiring figure in the Hawke's Bay community. Hawke's Bay woman Melinda Bennett, 40, died peacefully on Friday shortly after hearing her dad tell her for the last time that he loved her oh so very much. Diagnosed at just 10 years of age with rare genetic disease Friedreich's ataxia, she was given a life expectancy of only 20. Melinda Bennett, left, with the author Jenene Crossan. I tore myself away a week before she died, and then because of locked-down Auckland it was fated to be our last time together.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 09, 2021 01:39 UTC