When Justin Walker's best friend Miriama died of cancer earlier this year he was faced with the devastating task of making sure her four children were looked after, so he decided to turn his family of three into a family of seven.
Miriama suffered from a condition called Neurofibromatosis which creates benign lumps often at the end of nerve endings. It's a genetic condition that follows down through the family.
One day Miriama went to the hospital because she wasn't feeling well and after a few days, test results came through which showed one of the lumps had turned into an extremely rare cancer that hadn't been seen since a case in Japan in 1987.
"The diagnosis was obviously devastating to us all. I was away working, and travelling at the time and my wife called me and said she had two weeks left to live," Walker told AM.
Miriama had four young children to look after so Walker said it was a no-brainer to take care of them when she passed away.
"We had always made jokes and laughs throughout the friendship, that if anything were to happen to either, one of us would've had each other's kids and it was never even a question, we were always going to take them."
Walker said the law firm they worked with to make sure Miriama's children were looked after and the legal process of Walker becoming their legal guardian was as smooth as possible.
"We had an amazing law firm here that took time out of their own days and came and talked to us and visited us at home, in their weekends to help us out and get things in place," Walker told AM.
Walker, who is based in Christchurch, said Miriama went back to Whanganui in her final days to be closer to her marae and her whānau. He said that Miriama's whānau welcomed him and his family with open arms.
"We've been blessed in the fact that we've lost a sister but we've definitely gained a whānau and we've got a huge backing behind us with a support network."
The parent of seven said it is important that things are set in place because something could happen suddenly that you need to be prepared for.
"Age isn't a thing especially when you've got children to make sure you've got plans in place and everything is set so that their futures are safe."
Walker said Miriama's children who are 14, 12, nine and five are doing okay given the circumstances and they are happy to be in a stable environment where nothing was new for them.
"We, fortunately, have been part of their lives since they were born anyways. So it's a comfort thing for them, we know them and they know us. So it's not a new environment for them that they have to sort of deal with and live with."
