Until October last year, I worked in a large medical practice with 12,000 patients, many of them with high needs. I saw firsthand in my community the effects of domestic violence and abuse, where a young woman was raped and beaten by her partner for many days before she could escape to seek help. I saw our rangatahi stuck in vicious cycles of methamphetamine addiction. I saw parents who lost their kids to Oranga Tamariki. In more than one way, my personal experiences from the past have helped me to relate to my patients and will continue to do so with my constituents.