MONDAY 25TH NO0VEMBER  Dr Jacinta Vu, an oral surgeon, a wife, daughter, mother to four children under the age of 10, and several other roles, was an inspiration. Jacinta won the Australian of the Year Award and the 2025 Local Hero Award for her work with the Healing Smiles Not for Profit Organisation for the last six years. Through dentistry, this organisation tried to bring hope and healing to victims of Domestic violence. The impact of Domestic Violence on oral and mental health can be huge. It can result in associated trauma, both emotional and physical, a lack of access to dental care and a loss of self worth. The ninety volunteers within the dental health area of the organisation aim to build a relationship with the patient, and are especially aware of such things as touch being a trigger of fear, and they hope to reduce the impact of the trauma, and improve the self worth of those who have come in for dental work, often referred by their GP or other women’s organisations. . MONDAY 11TH NOVEMBER  The History of Princess Margaret Hospital The guest speaker at the Melville Rotary lunchtime meeting was Sue Burtenshaw , supported by her husband, Doug. Sue had devoted four years to collating and writing the history of PMH before it was all lost, as many of the nurses and others involved in its history were getting older and no longer here. Princess Margaret hospital was started in 1897 and closed in 2028. it had a chequered history of financial support from donations to fund raising events. In its early stages, the death rate of children under the age of two years was as high as 43%, many of whom died from malnutrition. By 1950, the death rate dropped to under 2%. Apart from actual medicine and operations, the nurses roles were varied. They tried many things to improve the lives and the boredom of the hospital routine for the children, especially this e from the country who didn’t have many visitors, which included taking them outside into the sunshine or taking them for walks. Sue described a picture from the archives that had a Matron (Matron Stokes) and several nurses all holding lion cubs, which often slept on the children’s beds in the wards. Currently there is no specialised paediatric training in WA and other hands on training for nurses coming straight out of university is also very limited. Therefore Sue has now taken up the drive to improve this situation. Well done Sue. |
 | Melville Markets All proceeds go to community. Every Sunday from 6am to 10am Closed for Christmas 22nd & 29th December 2024 From 1st January fees will be $20.00 per car bay #melvillemarkets Donations to Lower Spinner supports: Country Women's Assoc. Feed It Forward Borderless Friendship African Orphanage Country Women's Assc |
