It is life's most simple truth: nothing in this world is more powerful than a parent's love for their child.

This April Whangamata father Kraig Cornwall will draw on all his strength and love when he undertakes a marathon 24 hour paddle to raise much needed funds for his daughter Mikassa.

Whangamata father Kraig Cornwall (foreground) will be undertaking a 24 hour paddle at Takapuna Beach on April 25-26 to raise funds for daughter Mikassa's kidney transplant. Photo: Supplied.

In 2011, his 24-year-old daughter was diagnosed with kidney disease, and while it's being carefully managed through medication and dialysis, Mikassa is now in desperate needs of a transplant.

The 24 hour paddle is to raise money that will help pay for Mikassa's health and travel expenses for specialist appointments, and to improve her everyday wellbeing.

'My wife Cindy and I are not wealthy people,” says Kraig, 'so this is what we have to do because Mikassa is our number one priority.

'So if I have to sit on my ass for 24 hours slogging it out in a canoe, I will do it, a thousand times over if I have to because it's nothing compared to what she's going through.

'But mate, Mikassa is the toughest, most stoic kid you will ever meet, she wants to live and enjoy her life and not let this get the better of her. That's just Mikassa through and through.”

In the past week Mikassa met with Waikato Hospital renal specialists who have said she must get booked in for peritoneal dialysis as she is 'merely treading water” until the transplant.

Kraig says her kidneys could completely shut down anytime now, which would mean emergency surgery and that was not desirable.

'It is heart breaking to see all this happen to her, Mikassa didn't deserve it because she was just full of beans.

'But Mikassa doesn't know the meaning of the word ‘no' or give up, she's a battler through and through and that's why we're doing this.”

For the epic 24 hour paddle Kraig will be doing a 4km loop just off Takapuna Beach, spending 1 hour 45 minutes on the water at a time with 15 minute breaks in between.

He'll change canoes regularly in order to avoid injuries from overusing certain muscle groups, as well as carry out single and double paddling, plus three and six man paddles.

'My wife paddles and both my sons Grayson and Roman used to paddle, so the hard word's been put on them to get themselves fit again because I expect them out on the water with me.

'There's also been an army of people who have helped my family a lot so far and we'd love to do a couple of laps with them also.”

The people of Whangamata have shown huge love for Kraig's whaanau but he says Takapuna Beach was chosen purely for safety concerns.

'The last thing I need at Whangamata would be an easterly swell to come in while I'm paddling at night behind the breakers and I'm too far off shore,” explains Kraig. "It takes a lot of bad weather to mess Takapuna Beach up.”

Kraig, his wife and sons, and the youngest daughter Sakima are currently getting tested to discover if they are compatible in order to donate one of their kidneys to Mikassa.

If one of the whaanau is compatible they will offer up their kidney 'in a heartbeat”, which also means Mikassa can avoid being placed on a waiting list.

But if it is one of the parents who are compatible the family's income will be slashed – between Kraig and Cindy they are already working five jobs just to see ends meet.

They are both personal trainers and are currently trying to build up their small studio called Taking Care of Fitness, which is run out of the family's home on Aickin Rd in Whangamata.

'On top of that, every Wednesday Cindy goes to Auckland where she also does personal training for clients, comes home on Friday then she's working at one of the local restaurants the rest of the time.

'While six days a week I'm working down at the Liquor King. This is our life, this is just what we have to do to get by as well as looking after our family.

'If we could get Taking Care of Fitness up and running with a solid clientele that would mean we wouldn't have to leave home and someone would always be home for Mikassa.”

The Cornwall family have established a Give A Little page with a goal of raising $50,000 to cover all of Mikassa's medical expenses. At the time of writing, 35 people have donated a total of $5,230.

They have also received massive support from people in the community and sponsors for the paddle, which includes New World Whangamata and Moana Nui Waka.

Kraig says he's working hard to make this 24 hour paddle a success so that they can run it again on a yearly basis in order to help other families in similar situations.

'We see a lot of good coming out of this 24 hour paddle, not only for my family but for a number of families in the future who are struggling with loved ones in need of transplants.

'So hopefully people will come and support us both during the day and night; I'd love it if people turned up at 2am and jumped in their waka and did some laps with me.”

The Paddle For Mikassa will take place at Takapuna Beach, Auckland, starting at 8am on Saturday, April 25 until 8am on Sunday, April 26.

For updates, more information and ways you can show your support for the Cornwalls visit: givealittle.co.nz/cause/paddleforkass

Mikassa Cornwall. Photo: Supplied