In Christchurch on August 31 1943 Ralph and Daphne Loveday were blessed with the arrival of Dawn.
At 18-months-old Dawn was diagnosed with a congenital disorder which led to spontaneous dislocation of the patellas in both knees. This hindered her walking and mobility preventing normal participation in the usual activities of growing up.
Being different, she felt left out and missed many opportunities of sharing in the enjoyment of participating with others in social, recreation and sporting activities.
Dawn’s parents struggled to find her help in the 1940s. Therefore she grew up carrying the burden of this disabling condition. 
Due to lack of participation and engagement in sports and social activities, she experienced teasing, bullying and being constantly put down due to lack of understanding of her condition. This adversely effected Dawn’s confidence and self-esteem.
She joined Brownies and moved on to Girl Guides where the caring and accommodating culture of the organisation provided a foundation for her to grow and develop confidence.
In November 1954, when Dawn was 11, her father Ralph died leaving a significant gap in her life. Her mother Daphne continued to manage the family’s photography business and at the same time guided Dawn through the challenging years of her secondary schooling. She was a second year foundation pupil at Cashmere High School which she attended until 1958.
Through the early years, Dawn’s story is one of personal achievement in the face of adversity. She knew what it was like to feel excluded and therefore strived to do everything possible to make those she met feel good about themselves. She created for herself a meaningful purposeful life and used that to make a difference for the better in the lives of others. 