Your 2026 Westfield St Lukes Local Hero is:

Lana Petrovic Mercy Hospice

Compassionate. Kind. Dedicated.

At Mercy Hospice, Lana Petrovic ensures that people from diverse communities receive fair, equitable palliative care that respects their cultural identity.

Lana builds trusted relationships with diverse communities migrant, refugee and tauiwi, creating pathways into end-of-life support services that can often feel difficult to navigate.

For many families, language barriers, cultural differences and unfamiliarity with the health system can prevent them accessing the services they need.

“I’m driven by equity, dignity, and the belief that end-of-life care belongs to all of us,” she says.

Lana's work to break down barriers reaches more than 7,000 people each year.

Through workshops, training and partnerships with health providers, community leaders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), she helps whānau to access care that honours their identity, culture, and mana.

As well as easing the path to care, Lana also co-designs and facilitates wānanga that bring community members together to build confidence and understanding around end-of-life support, reducing stigma.

“It can be confronting to talk about death and dying, for many in our communities,” says Lana.

She explains, ‘I’ve leaned into that discomfort, learning that open, earlier conversations increase our confidence and agency. By asking questions, sharing practical tools, and normalising kōrero in trusted spaces, I've helped people take back their power over what end of life can look like.”

We’d like to thank and acknowledge our finalists who will receive a $5K grant for the organisation they represent.

Samuel Bunkall from RPE

For more than 15 years, Sam Bunkall has helped young people build knowledge around consent, respect and healthy relationships as an educator with Rape Prevention Education Whakatu Mauri Trust. Sam has delivered workshops to more than 1,000 students in the local area and takes his advocacy beyond the classroom through select expert advice to Parliament and media.

Susanne Ritzenhoff from Toi Ora Arts Trust

As director Toi Ora Live Arts Trust, Susanne Ritzenhoff nurtures a welcoming space where people experiencing mental distress can enhance their wellbeing through creativity. Under her leadership, enrolment in the free creative programmes has doubled, with more than 500 artists now engaged in visual and performing arts and studio time.

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If you need support, please phone Lifeline Aotearoa: 0800 543 354

Recognising all our 2026 nominees

View all of the Westfield St Lukes nominees and their organisations.