Our Angels in South Australia

Steve Attard has contributed much to the SA kidney community, as Chair of the SA Consumer Council and on the NCC and is a strong advocate for improving transport issues that renal patients face. Steve served on Queen Elizabeth and Royal Adelaide Hospitals Renal Merger Committee. Steve began dialysis in1984 in 2006 after 22 years on dialysis, he received a kidney transplant!

Kirsten Passaras  Clinical Nurse Consultant at Flinders Medical Centre, has worked in renal area for many years all over Australia. She has served on the Renal Society of Australasia's Executive Committee and President of SA and NT branch. Kirsten volunteers time and effort into the running of the society and organises many educationl events for renal nurses and allied health staff. In 2008 she was recognised by the RSA for her outstanding contribution by awards for state and federal RSA Member of the Year. 

Nancy Douglas-Irving and Enzo Scipioni established Dialysis Escape Line Australia in 1998. This organisation offers renal patients freedom to take a holiday in Australia by arranging temporary dialysis in holiday areas where dialysis is not available and provides education and physical and emotional support. Their unique heavenly service to our kidney community has grown quickly and now has a dedicated volunteeer committee. Together, Nancy and Enzo represent over 19 years of experience on dialysis and although they both have since been transplanted they continue to be dedicated to this program.

Di Godfrey  One of Australia’s first Renal Technicians who began her renal career at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, after marrying husband Brian, moved to Berri where she grew up and setup the Berri Renal Unit solely for renal patients on holiday, until it became a satellite renal unit.  Di also loves teaching and regularly conducts renal education sessions for all staff in Berri. Di’s peers and patients attest to her celestial qualities as she always puts the needs of her renal clients first.

Jeff Lang  Long time volunteer at Kidney Health Australia and a member of the SA Consumer Participation Committee and is also a regular guest speaker at community groups and workplaces on behalf of Kidney Health Australia. When speaking to groups about becoming an Organ Donor, Jeff finds it gratifying to know that they appreciate the knowledge of a person who has been through the whole process of the South Australian Renal system. Jeff was the founding member of a peer support group Kidney Connect in South Australia, which has many volunteer supporters throughout Australia giving support to kidney patients. Jeff receives a great deal of satisfaction from helping others on how to cope with the many aspects of Kidney disease.

Roxanne Perry  A renal nurse since 1995 and the Nursing Unit head of the dialysis unit at the Women’s and Children Hospital. She has presented at multiple renal conferences over the years and helped to care for many children and families with end stage renal disease, dialysis and transplant in SA and NT. Kidney Health Australia has been blessed with Roxanne’s 'angel' qualities since 2002, when she first assisted in reviewing our health resources and joined our Kidney Kid’s Camp and Capers planning committee. Roxanne has worked with us to organise the last 4 Kidney Kid’s Camps and Adelaide Capers.

Gerry Hancock  The oldest Sth Australian live donor at 70, Gerry donated a kidney to his eldest grandchild, Candice, diagnosed with polycystic kidney failure in 2003. As a teenager her creatinine count rose dramatically in January 2004, with dialysis looming, all family members were tested for compatibility for a live kidney donation and Gerry was the best match and transplant surgery was performed by A/Prof Mohan Rao in June 2004. Candice is now a qualified Chef and Gerry has travelled through the United States and Canada. Gerry said 'anyone contemplating donating a kidney should carefully consider the committment and go for it' and described his live kidney donation as the most satisfying contribution he had made in life which created a wonderful bond with the recipient, family and friends.

A/Professor Mohan Rao BSc, MS, MCh, FACS, FRACS  The first trainee in renal transplantation surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (1968 to 1971) trained by Mr Peter Knight who started the transplant program in Adelaide. Mohan performed his first kidney transplant in India and played a key role in establishing renal transplantation now widely available across India, receiving a ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ from the Indian Society of Organ Transplantation 1997.

After rejoining QEH transplant team in 1976 the live donor program commenced at the QEH which now achieves eventy to ninety donor transplants performed annually, with one third from live donors. As an experienced innovative surgeon he provided ‘in-house’ service, keeping graft loss from surgical complications minimal. Mohan provides services to Women and Children’s Hospital and most paediatric transplants.

Mohan's innovative procedures reducde post-operative morbidity, with faster recovery. His most significant contribution was the development of keyhole surgery to remove kidneys, first performed in 1997 at the QEH (14 months after first USA procedure). It has significantly reduced length of stay after surgery with some patients home within 24 hours. Mohan also helped teams throughout Australia, India, Malaysia and China by leading workshops, lecturing etc and trained surgeons here and globally.

Margie Raynor  Marathon cyclist and significant fundraiser for Kidney Health Australia, this Adelaide school teacher first cycled for kidney disease across the Nullarbor in 2005. Since then has been the first person to cycle around and across Australia vertically and horizontally. Margie combines fundraising with public awareness visits to schools and community groups in her path, to highlight the need for optimal kidney health and has raised thousands of dollars to help us with our work. Find out more of Margie's mammoth efforts to help us via Renal Ride blogspot and our Fundraising Events webpage.