New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ four-year-old daughter in hospital with rare blood condition

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has taken time off from work to care for his sick four-year-old daughter in hospital.

Mr Hipkins left work early on Wednesday to care for his eldest child.

The Labor leader revealed in a Facebook post that his children have von Willebrand’s disease, an often chronic condition in which the blood does not clot properly.

“Usually I don’t speak publicly about my children because I want them to grow up away from the public spotlight, but sometimes that’s unavoidable,” he said.

“Today my four-year-old daughter is in hospital for needed treatment, so for the rest of the day while this is happening I will be working in the hospital while I focus on her.

“All good, I’ll be back to work soon, but thanks to my colleagues for covering a few engagements over the next few days that I’m going to have to miss.”

Mr Hipkins, who split from his wife Jade last year, shares and co-parents two children.

Mr. Hipkins thanked the blood donors at his post.

“Many New Zealanders rely on the generosity of those who donate their blood,” he said.

“Thank you to everyone who helps people like my little girl.”

It is estimated that von Willebrand’s disease affects one in 1,000 people, with varying degrees of severity.

While life-threatening bleeding disorders, such as severe hemophilia, which primarily affects males, are usually diagnosed at birth, mild von Willebrand’s disease and hemophilia can go undetected for years because they usually cause few daily symptoms. In mild cases, the bleeding eventually stops because patients still have low clotting factor levels.

Yet they can increase the risk of excessive bleeding during surgery, tooth extraction, injury, or childbirth, and cause fatigue and anemia (a lack of iron in the blood) – as well as heavy periods.