29 October 2025
In 1953, at just 29 years old, Nola Fullarton’s life changed forever. Within three months she lost both her husband to leukaemia and her mother to breast cancer. At the time, she was told that a cure for cancer was “just around the corner”.
Nola at her 100th birthday
From that moment, Nola resolved to support medical research in any way she could. She began making annual donations, a commitment that continued throughout her lifetime. Her quiet determination and steady generosity became a thread that wove through the decades – a personal promise to help bring hope to others facing the diseases that had touched her family so deeply.
Nola passed away in September 2024, just shy of her 101st birthday. To honour her remarkable life and her long devotion to research, her family chose to make a gift to the Malaghan in her memory.
“This bequest was a fitting way to honour her determination to support a cause she cared about,” says Sue, Nola’s daughter.
We are deeply grateful for legacies like Nola’s – stories of resilience, generosity and love that live on through the breakthroughs made possible by research. Legacy and in-memory gifts carry forward the values of those who give them, ensuring that their compassion continues to make a difference for generations to come.
Related articles
A ground-breaking cancer treatment is within reach – but only if New Zealand acts now
12 February 2026
Homegrown Hope - Stuff's series on CAR T-cell therapy
11 February 2026
NZ-UK research deepens understanding of germinal centres for better vaccine design
27 January 2026
Sir Graham Le Gros awarded knighthood in New Year Honours
31 December 2025
How a quirk of the immune system may play a big role in protecting us from disease
18 December 2025
The nose knows: new research explores next generation of nasal vaccines
2 December 2025