My Perfect Family

11-year-old, Ranger has Crones disease and his eight-year-old sister Izzy has Down syndrome. Their Mum Gillian is a filmmaker and Dad Wayne is a musician. Small wonder that these kids make movies and music together.

Kim lives with her three adult sons with Autism. Jacob and Jackson aren’t verbal, The slightest change in routine can spiral into a full-on melt down. Kim expects her boys will live at home forever, but what if there’s another way?

Sisters Kristy and Nikki want to find a positive way to teach their kids about Cystic Fibrosis, a condition that is causing both of their lungs to deteriorate. Nikki and Kristy choose to celebrate each moment with their children.

Demar got meningitis at five months old, leaving her unable to walk or talk. Her parents always believed she would survive, and today…they’re celebrating her 21st birthday.

Murray and Janine were forced to have autistic son Steven removed from their home by police and committed to a secure mental health unit. Now he’s ready to come home.

Matt and Navah are passionate advocates for families living with autism. In their blended family of six, three of their children are on the spectrum. No one knows how they cope.

Graeme is a basketball coach, and he’s a family man. but balancing all of these activities whilst living with an intellectual disability means that his family sometimes miss out on the attention they need. It’s time for Graeme to change things.

Raising three boys is always a big task, especially when two of them have severe autism. But Kim Preston just takes it all in her stride with a pragmatic and positive attitude.

Twins Maddie and Felix are non-verbal and have high needs. Maddie has a brain injury, which affects her muscle tone, and Felix has no arms and lives with autism. For 28-year-old mum Nikki Stokes, life is a constant juggle with three other children to care for as well.

Eleven-year-old Zoe Tate lives with Wolf Hirschhorn Syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting her appearance, development and intellectual ability. She shares a special bond with her sister Tess whose Zoe’s best friend and sometimes her carer.

After losing his wife to cancer, Tony Sykes raised his four children alone. the two youngest Emma and Nicki, were born with Down Syndrome.

Three sisters showing no symptoms themselves, grow up clueless that they are carriers for the genetic, learning and cognitive condition Fragile X. Only after having children do they start to see similarities between some of their children’s developmental disabilities.

Blind since birth, Martine has now established herself as a change agent and global leader in the blind and disability communities. In this inspiring story we follow Martine and her husband Gary — a New Zealand blind cricket rep — as they navigate their darkened world.

Six-year-old Ella Yearbury was born premature and developed Cerebral Palsyand Epilepsy. Mum Kat has lived through the highs and lows of raising a child with high needs. In this episode, we follow the family as they move from Auckland to Omaha to start a new chapter.

Hunter McGregor is a graduate of Media Design School, and he runs a bed and breakfast with his mother Roi. But more than anything, Hunter wants to find a job — away from the home he shares with Roi. This is not as easy as it sounds when you live with autism.

The Fergusons are an average family of five who have fun, sometimes fight but mostly get along. The main difference is that three of them are deaf, and NZSL is the first language for the whole family.

This week we join the Fergusons in Paris, where they’re attending the World Federation of the Deaf Congress. We watch as New Zealand makes it’s bid to hold the next global Congress.

Mahia and Tipene Stephens were born with a congenital eye disorder, causing their eyesight to deteriorate rapidly. As they grow into young men, mum Lane is determined to foster their independence by teaching them important life skills.

Southland Disability Enterprises in Invercargill employs over 80 people who live with a disability. For Mary-Ellen Joyce & Neville Clode, who were both born with Down Syndrome, it’s much more than just a workplace.

Mum of five Nikki Stokes’ eight-year-old twins both live with disabilities that make them more vulnerable to infection .Keeping a tight bubble for as long as possible is vital, but the twins need care around the clock.

Abbi and Morgan Brass had a double shock when their son Josh was born. First, Josh was diagnosed with Caudal Regression Syndrome. Then they discovered that they would receive none of the Australian government support.

The 50th annual conference for Little People of New Zealand (LPNZ) is fast approaching, and 27-year-old Loren is flat-out with preparations. She’s looking forward to greeting friends from around the country both old and new.

Born with a range of complex conditions, young Andre Rasmussen is not expected to live past the age of five. Mum, Dannii, with her elder son Alizé and daughter Avie stamp Andre all over Christ church creating a catalogue of memories for their future without him.

Dr Jo Scott was in the final stages of qualifying as a specialist hematologist when a brain hemorrhage changed everything. After a long battle to try to salvage her career, Jo and husband Leon realised the way forward needed to be different.

Samantha and Jason Tamatea are parents to four young boys aged from two to ten years old. Sam & Jason have an extra challenge. Sam is completely blind, having lost her sight as a baby after contracting meningitis, and Jason has limited vision.

Joe Boon is turning 30. It’s a milestone for anyone, but particularly for Joe and his family, who carry a rare genetic and degenerative condition that carries a life expectancy of just 37. Three out of five siblings - including Joe - have Friedreich's Ataxia.

In the Priestley family, three of four children have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The family are high-functioning, and many of those on the outside either don’t see or misunderstand their struggles.

In 2012, Graeme and Chris adopted Ngā Hou - who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other disabilities. After Chris’s tragic death, Graeme struggled to help Ngā Hou finding employment where she would be valued and supported.

Two teenage sisters are facing a particularly difficult year. They both live with OCD, anxiety, and depression, and one has the added challenge of Tourette Syndrome. the world can be an uncertain and scary place. As they need to learn to adapt to a changing environment.

When a pregnancy complication with her first child saw her lose her vision entirely, Melody Steyn had to cope with adjusting to being blind, at the same time as becoming a new mum to a son later diagnosed with Autism. how Melody is navigating her new life.

We meet three families whose young children have all been diagnosed with CDKL5, a condition that causes epilepsy and limits their ability to walk, talk and eat. There are just 10 children in the country with CDKL5, making the community small but supportive.

Bee Perrone lives with the invisible disability Ivemark Syndrome; a rare condition where internal organs are malformed or unusually placed, and the spleen is either absent or multiplied. Showing early talent as an anime artist, attention of a mentor at Weta Workshop.

Hatty Walton was still an infant when their family learned that she was Deaf. she has cochlear implants, which allow them a certain level of hearing, The parents still had to fight over the years to ensure she gets the same level of education as their other children.

Rugby is a staple to Bradley,April Brendan who all live with intellectual disabilities. they train as part of the Tri Rugby team, learning skills that they can apply both on and off the rugby field.It’s more than just a sport to this team, it means whānau.

Max and Grace are helping to break the mould of what life looks like living with Down Syndrome. Max, spends his time working on his carpentry and building skills.Grace is involved in the disability community with her work for Recreate.

When Heather and Jim’s third son Alex was born with Down syndrome. A childhood full of music, drama, and live performance has given Alex the tools to thrive as a young man in Greytown. now he's preparing for his school's showcase and can't wait for the big performance.

The Barnes who lives in Whangarei. Their youngest son, Eli, lives with a rare progressive form of Muscular Dystrophy which affects his ability to navigate the world. he has just started school but he isn’t doing it alone, he is joined by Grayson as his teacher aid.