Angels in our Australian Capital Territory

Mr Bill Handke - KHA ACT CPC Representative cares for his wife Jenny who has kidney disease, which has meant she needs to be dialyzed regularly and eventually will need a kidney transplant. Since his retirement from the Commonwealth public service, Bill has been a tireless advocate for improved arrangements for those with kidney disease and also for organ donor awareness. Bill is an active member of the Consumer Participation Committee. He makes things happen, having an innate ability to grasp the root of the problem and find a solution. His efforts in lobbying politians to improve conditions for people affected by kidney disease, are tireless. He is a member of the Board for Gift of Life, the peak body for organ donor awareness in the ACT and surrounding districts.

Mr David Parker - Chair for the KHA National Consumer Participation Council is an active member of the kidney community who works tirelessly in the ACT to improve kidney health awareness. Not only is David the Chair for the National Consumer Council, but also the Chair for ACT Consumer Participation Committee, balancing his duties with his work as public servant. He recently received a kidney transplant and continues to strive toward improvement in conditions for those affected by kidney disease.

Presentations in 2008 - our 40th Anniversay Year

Barbara Harvie works tirelessly at the Canberra Hospital for her chronic kidney disease and transplant patients. She also gives a lot of her personal time to do fantastic work for Indigenous health, Kidney Check Australia Taskforce program and creates nursing education programs and resources. She is a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner pioneer and has a very busy schedule aimed at improving the lives of patients with CKD.

Sheila Perryman has shown it is possible to live a long and comparatively normal life with kidney disease. Sheila was diagnosed with a renal problem after giving birth in 1962. And yet 46 years later she has never had to resort to dialysis or a transplant. She regularly saw a GP until 1983 when her condition worsened and she began attending her local renal clinic. She hit a low point in December 2001 when diagnosed with renal failure. It was then she was told she would be on dialysis within six months. Her brother offered to give her a kidney, but blood tests determined he would not be a suitable donor. A former nurse and Day Care Supervisor, Sheila puts her comparatively good health down to a number of factors – diet, support from family and friends, the work of her local renal clinic, and a positive frame of mind. Sheila has been a generous volunteer for KHA, not only assisting in the Canberra office but also as a guest speaker, sharing her knowledge and experience and spreading Kidney Health Australia’s messages to the wider community.