Page 4135 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 26 November 2014
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Samantha was born in January 1988, the daughter of Andrew and Anne, a granddaughter to Elaine, William and Dorothy and later a big sister to Greg. At six weeks of age Sam was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Naturally, the entire family was devastated. But to borrow from family friend Don, Andrew and Anne soon realised that they had the opportunity to give Samantha the best life she could have.
Samantha started life in Higgins before the family then moved to Conder. Sam attended kindergarten at Gordon Primary School and then the newly built Conder Primary School. It has been said that Samantha and education went hand in hand—she loved to learn and excelled in all areas.
In 2000 the family travelled to Disneyland. It was a trip that sparked her taste for travel, a passion she followed her entire life. In her gap year she took a three-month journey to over 30 countries, including stays in London and Paris. In 2013 she travelled to Canada, Alaska and Hawaii. That is an impressive list of destinations. What is even more impressive is that she was doing all this when she had only 20 per cent lung capacity.
While studying for her Bachelor of Medical Science at the ANU she attended a guest lecture that inspired her and showed her the professional path she would pursue. One morning a guest lecturer from the Canberra Hospital was invited to speak to students about life as a genetic counsellor. Sam was so determined to pursue this profession she volunteered at the hospital and undertook her postgraduate studies in this complex, challenging but very rewarding field.
In 2014 she achieved another dream: to work at the world-leading Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute in Melbourne. After this, she returned to Canberra and took up a position in her home town, sharing her experience and professionalism, helping those facing life’s most difficult challenges, even as she faced the most difficult challenges herself. Despite this, her colleagues at work described her like this:
… a dynamic, caring woman. She had a remarkable moral and ethical base to her work, always the patient advocate and compassionate.
Sam displayed empathy beyond her years. Sam was also a great mate. She was going to be an exceptional genetic counsellor.
Sam was an exceptional colleague. Just listening to her answer the phone would make your day better.
That is what I am told Sam did—she made people’s days better.
Sadly, earlier this year Sam’s amazingly valiant spirit started to succumb to the difficulties of her disease. I understand this did not stop her—not her spirit, not her dreams, not her positivity. She was transferred to St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney where the family waited for a donor transplant. Sadly, despite best efforts, those donor organs did not arrive in time and Samantha Steele passed away.
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