Lifting of the Makutu

...that's the challenge, finding a spelling mistake in a very thick book.

– Dr Stephen Robertson describes the work of genetic investigation

Throughout the whole seven years of searching Stephen has kept in touch with us, letting us know how he was doing, even when he was getting nowhere. Even when he was in England he would ring and track us down all over the country and not just because he needed more blood. It has been very good for us as a family to know Steve. This was a very tender spot, none of us wanted to talk about it. It was a very freaky thing to have this keep happening in our family and not know why. We love Steve for the way he just kept going.

– Karen Tito on her family's deep affection for paediatrician and geneticist Stephen Robertson, The Listener, 7 June 2003, page 28

When I had David, he came out with a smile on his face and a glow...

– Shona Tito on the short life of her son David

I was starting to worry, you know, what is wrong with us? What's happening to us. Why is it happening to us? What have we done wrong, you know?

– Phyllis Tito on the number of neonatal deaths in her whanāu

I want another four more...yeah I do. But I'll cut it down to two more.

– Noki-Jane Tito on having more children

Mum, she's the one who puts a lot of the blame on herself. She puts so much burden on herself in regards to how Phylli, Karen, Shona and I have lost our boys to this genetic condition. Her belief may be that it's actually the curse that's done this to her, plus us. Maybe we are being punished for something. I don't know. Maybe something in the family did happen...

– Noki-Jane Tito on her Mum June feeling responsible for the family's record of loss

It is like being an explorer: it's setting eyes upon something that no other human mind has set their eyes upon and understood, at least to a limited degree . . . and understand it, not out of cleverness actually, but out of the help I got from June and her family, and multiple other families, from the help I got from [geneticist] Andrew Wilkie, and from just a bit of sheer sort of doggedness, not giving up.

– Dr Stephen Robertson on his investigation into the genetic mutation in June Miru's whanāu

It was a very difficult film to make, to fund, and to complete. But a film that saves lives? I’ll take that as a winner.

– Director Peta Carey

The man who never sought the limelight, never pursued the accolades of the world's scientific elite, found success simply because he encountered a family whose suffering touched him, and he wanted to help.

– Director Peta Carey describes paedeiatrician and geneticist Stephen Robertson, North and South, March 2005, page 72

I would describe myself I suppose first and foremost as a family man, really. You can't help going through life as a physician, and especially as a paediatrician, and not relating the experiences of the families you see with disease and disability and problems - and relating that back to your own experience as a father as well.

– Doctor Stephen Robertson describes himself, early in this documentary