Career change has its downs as well as its ups
In this blog I have written of the positive challenge involved in changing careers as a result of health issues. This is by no means an easy thing, but it is a positive thing.  And it can be done.  I did it from the age of 45.  Thérèse Rein's dad did it as a paraplegic in an era before accessibility and equal opportunity were widely understood. Its a great thing. And it has its bonuses - such as the college excursions (field trips) that I have been fortunate to organise.

Great Figures in Transplant / Non-transplant History > Stan Whippy Ritova
Stan Whippy Ritova, titled Ratu Viliame Ritova (1935-2009) was a noted  journalist in Australia and in his home nation of Fiji.He stood for the welfare and rights of kidney patients in Fiji.Paradoxically, the shortage of facilities in his home country was to eventually force him to move to Australia.  From this base he continued his journalistic career up to the time of his death.His work eventually led to the eventual establishment of the first kidn

Running to your strengths: the views of Thérèse Rein
The 7.30 Report on ABC [Australia] last Wednesday night featured an interview with Thérèse Rein, wife of the Prime Minister of Australia, the Rt Hon

Old kidneys for "old folks"?
And as we mark United Nations Day today,  here's a googly bowled up in the local media:  old kidneys for old folks.I must admit that I hitherto had been under the impression that a donor's age had no real bearing in the allocation of donor kidneys.  Potentially, so I believed, an "old" kidney that was otherwise healthy could tick over quite well in a young recipient.Maybe this article suggests that kidneys with identified issues up to a certain threshold would be considered for elderly patients.It could also suggest that My previous

The vexed issue of transplanting donor organs
Local media has this week reported that Australian scientists have developed an improvement in the solution in which donor hearts are transported – making a donor heart viable for up to 14 hours, as against the current situation of 5 or so hours. The solution also apparently makes the organ generally more viable for transplantatio