In this episode of Mai I Kurawaka, Simon Strickett shares his journey to fatherhood. Simon and his wife, Tash, sought medical help a year into trying to conceive. The couple underwent a series of tests in the year following as well as Simon undergoing a medical operation to work out why they were struggling to fall pregnant, Simon was told he had a genetic defect/ DNA damage and he was biologically incapable of producing viable sperm to conceive. After taking time to grieve and reflect as a whānau, Simon and his whānau began to wānanga about whānau sperm donation. With the support of Simon’s brother-in-law, Glen, Simon and his wife welcomed a little boy into te ao Marama in 2019. Simon is frank and speaks from the heart, sharing the importance of community and whānau support for tāne who are struggling with infertility- especially having spaces for tāne to be able to speak to tāne. His kōrero centres on connection and identity, especially how his understanding of whānau and fatherhood is ever changing with his own lived experience.  Credits:Made by possible by Nōku te Ao- Like Minds Hosts: Glen Paul Waru, Peter van KampenProducer: Hāpai te Hauora CONTACT US: Via email- media@hapai.co.nzVia instagram- https://www.instagram.com/hapaitehauora/?hl=en Please note: The themes and content shared in this podcast are the interviewee’s and do not reflect the views or perspectives of the producer, Hāpai te Hauora nor funding body, Nōku te Ao- Like Minds. This podcast features personal stories of pregnancy and birth- the information provided should not substitute medical advice. Talk to your doctor/ midwife about what options are right for you.These episodes contains themes of mental distress and/or mental health challenges. If you require support, please visit www.tataihono.co.nz