Dr Fiona Wood: dynamo, leader, humanitarian
Dr Fiona Wood gave a deeply moving, inspiring address on Friday 12 October 2012 in the Great Hall of the Parliament of Australia on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist bombings in Bali. Her words were heartfelt, passionate -- raw in parts -- as she spoke of the inherent goodness in the human spirit; her work with her colleagues; the courage and resilience of the people she helps; the power of love; and her optimism about what Australians have achieved and may come to achieve. You can see her address here.
Dr Wood is an eminent British-born plastic surgeon working in Perth, Western Australia as the director of the Royal Perth Hospital burns unit and the Western Australia Burns Service. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 and was named Australian of the Year for 2005.
She has become well known for her patented invention of spray-on skin for burn victims, which requires culturing for as few as five days to cover major burns, compared with older techniques requiring 21 days. This technology helped her and a courageous, dedicated team to save the lives of 28 people who suffered burns as a result of the 2002 Bali bombing atrocity.
One of our colleagues went to an informal event in 2011 where Fiona Wood spoke. The thought-provoking content of her talk, and her striking qualities of energy, dedication, intelligence and humility, made a great impression on everyone who listened to her.
What an inspiration she is!
Dr Wood also appears in a short video outlining the work of the Fiona Wood Foundation, which seeks to “deliver scarless healing -- in mind and body -- to all burn injury survivors; to ensure that the quality of the scar is worth the pain of survival.” Her philosophy: “Never be satisfied with today; it’s just the start of the journey for tomorrow. ... I don’t think any of us should get up in the morning to be average. ... I think we need to put ourselves in a position, and [with] support around us, such that we get up in the morning and we do the best we can -- day in, day out.”
Watching that video is well worth the time too.
... As is making a donation to the Foundation’s amazing work, via the “Donate” button on the same page as the video.