Page 1404 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
It was absolutely devastating when Deidre was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia, in 2015, as she had spent a long time nursing patients suffering from it and she had seen firsthand what happens when this cruel disease takes hold. As the years went on and her memory faded, it became clear that the most important things in her life would never disappear. (Extension of time granted.) Deidre talked constantly about growing up in Manly, her siblings, her departed beautiful friend and fellow Vietnam nurse, Maureen, her two boys, her beloved Canberra Raiders and her loving husband. There are clearly some memories that can never be forgotten.
Deidre and Bill were married for nearly 48 years and he was completely devoted to her. They travelled all over the world and shared many wonderful memories together. She was grateful that she had had such a happy marriage with a husband who clearly loved her very much. The care and love Bill provided for her, especially over the past couple of years, was nothing short of heroic.
Deidre passed away on 1 March this year and I was privileged to attend her funeral service, where, in front of her family and friends, her operational Army nursing contribution was recognised with the wonderful RSL poppy ceremony. Deidre is now interred in the military section of Woden Cemetery.
I never met Deidre, but every time I spoke with her husband, Bill, his love for her was so evident. In Deidre we remember a loving, dedicated, compassionate and devoted carer and the heart of a loving family. Deidre’s silent but not inconsiderable contribution to the nation and the Canberra community over 40 years needs to be acknowledged, and I am privileged to do that today in this place.
International Year of the Nurse and Midwife
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families and Minister for Health) (6.46): I rise today to recognise that 2020 is the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and to acknowledge the important work of our nurses and midwives across our city. As has been said many times, 2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges around the world, around the country and in our region. Nurses have been at the forefront of these challenges, particularly in responding to COVID-19. In some countries this work has endangered their own health and even their lives. Nurses have also been at the forefront of fighting for the rights of health workers to a safe work environment and for a strong public health response to the pandemic.
In the ACT we have seen our nurses and midwives stand up for their colleagues, their patients and their communities, as they always do. They have staffed our testing centres and provided compassionate care to the small number of Canberrans who have been hospitalised with COVID-19. Midwives have supported Canberra women who are pregnant or have given birth in an environment of great anxiety and reduced hospital visitor access. One of the highlights of my role as Minister for Health, in what has been a busy time, has been hearing from Canberrans and visitors to our region about the care and compassion that has been provided to them by nurses and midwives across our ACT health system.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video