There was "not a dry eye in the studio" on Thursday morning at The Rock radio station when a listener called Neil made an "incredibly generous" offer to the mother of a toddler in desperate need of medical equipment.
Lisa called in to The Rock radio station a day earlier as part of their 'Debt Collectors' promotion and was awarded a $500 prize after explaining that her little girl Fern had just been diagnosed with type one diabetes.
"We're hoping to get a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) machine that's not funded by Pharmac for our not quite two-year-old daughter who has been diagnosed with type one diabetes," she said.
"It's a huge curveball for us."
The CGM machine is vital for reading Fern's blood glucose levels, and automatically connects with the pump that administers insulin to control dangerous "spikes".
Lisa was grateful for the $500 prize, calling it "amazing", but she didn't know that was only going to be the beginning of the financial help.
The following day The Rock got back in touch with Lisa along with a fellow listener called Neil - a total stranger - who brought everyone to tears when he offered to pay for the entire first year of the family's CGM machine costs, equating to $5000.
"I've been down a similar road that you guys are going down - I know exactly how the public health system works and it stinks, and I'm quite happy to pay for the first year, at the moment, of the machine that you require," Neil told Lisa.
"Oh my God," she replied through tears.
"Don't start crying, you'll make me cry," Neil said.
"That is incredibly generous," Lisa said.
"Yeah I understand your plight," Neil replied.
"Wow, that is really, really generous, thank you so much - I'm speechless, thank you Neil," Lisa said.
"There's not a dry eye in the studio," Rock host Roger Farelly said, as all the presenters wiped away tears.
When asked what motivated him to get involved, Neil revealed a heartbreaking story of his own.
"I had a child many years ago who was born with severe difficulties and disabilities and I had a long battle with the health department," he explained.
"I got no support because I was living rurally on a farm and she passed away after nearly 14 years. I just feel that the system stinks and there are people out there that genuinely need [help] and I'm in a position in life where I can do that."
Farelly told Neil he was a "fantastic human being".
"Thank you so much for this call," he added.
Fern's family has also set up a GiveALittle page to help raise funds for her medical expenses.
