Katherine Edyvane
Katherine Edyvane
28 January 1958 - 8 December 2015,
General Surgeon, Humanitarian, Educator and Researcher
Katherine was born and raised in southern England in a large, working-class, single-income, family (one of 7 children), and experienced first-hand, poverty and social disadvantage. Improved opportunities came however, when her family emigrated to Tasmania in 1972, particularly free access to higher education. Her compassion and commitment were also evident in these early years, in her 10 years of volunteering with St John Ambulance and active involvement in environmental campaigns to save Tasmania's wilderness. Following completion of a BSc in the life sciences at the University of Tasmania in 1980, a PhD in medical biochemistry at the Department of Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre in 1987, under Professor Villus Marshall - she discovered her true humanitarian calling - in medicine and surgery.
Obtaining her medical degree from Flinders University in 1992, and completing her Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in Perth in 2005, she quickly developed a reputation not only as a highly-skilled general surgeon, but also for her deep sense of social justice, compassion and commitment to the public health system. All of which were profoundly influenced by her Communist beliefs and from her direct experience of volunteering in Cuba which began in 1992, in her role as a student surgical intern in Havana. In Perth, Katherine worked in the Acute Surgical Unit at Fremantle Hospital in association with elective surgery at nearby Rockingham Hospital where she soon became Head of Department. Both departments, as their contribution provided surgical cover, giving her periods of leave of absence so she could pursue her real passion - international surgical aid and development.
One of her first assignments on obtaining her Fellowship in 2005 was to volunteer as the RACS Surgeon and Team Leader in the Earthquake Disaster Response to the 8th October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, Pakistan - which left 90,000 people dead, 106,000 injured and 3.3 million homeless. The main city hospital in Muzaffarabad was completely destroyed. In the freezing Kashmiri winter, under difficult living conditions, she delivered surgical care, often in tents, for the victims. Significantly, her ongoing medical volunteering in Cuba and her Spanish language skills also proved invaluable in improving medical collaboration between the RACS team and the substantial Cuba medical mission. This life-changing experience set the scene for a career in surgery dedicated to delivering surgical services and training in developing countries.
Most notable was Katherine's ongoing role as the RACS Surgeon at the Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares, in Dili, Timor-Leste, a country she fell in love with after an initial 2-month placement in 2006. Returning for a 2 year stint in 2007-2009, and then three more times (2010, 2013, and 2014) - ranking her among RACS's longest serving surgeons in Dili. Over this time, she delivered surgical services and training: managing 'everything that came through the hospital doors' and also, closely mentoring the country's first surgical trainees (many of whom are now Consultants). Her Spanish language fluency, knowledge and prior experience of working with Cuban medical missions, proved invaluable in strengthening vital collaboration between RACS and the Cuban medical mission (the largest in Timor Leste) - including more than 900 Cuba-trained, Timorese medical trainees returning to Timor Leste. In the little spare time she had, she developed much-needed surgical training resources (including writing a text book on surgery for Timor Leste and other developing countries); implemented the country's first breast cancer awareness program with the Alola Foundation; and pioneered the establishment of the Women's Medical Association for Timorese medical staff. This level of commitment and service, together with her very generous and warm nature, endeared her greatly to Timorese doctors, nurses, and all her trainees and patients - who affectionately referred to her as Doctora or 'Mana Katerina'.
Working in developing countries for long periods, Katherine worked with few resources, and often under difficult living conditions. In the volatile political conditions of the newly independent, Timor-Leste, she was tear-gassed three times, robbed twice and emergency evacuated following threats to her personal security.
Katherine was an excellent and dedicated educator becoming a member of the Faculty of Surgical Educators, as it was at that time. She was also very active in non-for-profit, 'Specialists without Borders' (SWB), a group designed to bring medical education to developing countries; volunteering on surgical training missions to Rwanda, Malawi, and Zimbabwe during 2010-2012. With this passion and energy for education and international aid, she also became a powerful role model, inspiring other RACS surgeons and trainees, particularly female, to join or follow her footsteps. Plans were afoot for further missions to Africa and Timor Leste, when sadly, cancer struck for the second time. On this second occasion, the disease progressed rapidly.
For her '"outstanding contribution to international surgery and surgical education in Timor Leste, Pakistan and Africa", Katherine was awarded and presented with the RACS International Medal on 2 November 2015 - fortuitously, in the year RACS signed the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery's vision for 'Universal Access to Safe and Affordable Surgery and Anaesthesia When Needed'. The citation noted that "In a short post-Fellowship period of only 10 years, Dr Edyvane has spent nearly half that time in Aid postings under very challenging circumstances for a relatively young surgeon. " In an emotional acceptance speech at a special ceremony in Perth, in the presence of close colleagues, friends and family, Katherine reiterated the compassionate credo which guided her surgical career: "My priority has always been to help those - through no fault of their own - did not have the same access to health services that Australians often take for granted. Illness is both a result of misfortune or bad luck and also personal circumstance. Here in Australia, we live in a country rich in health resources, but we also live adjacent to some of the most impoverished, malnourished and resource poor countries in the world. Humanitarian medical aid in developing countries helps take the luck out of personal circumstance and misfortune."
In paying tribute to Katherine, RACS President, Professor David Watters, said "Katherine spent much of the 10 years that life afforded her as a qualified surgeon, serving others... She was devoted to ensuring that surgical care was available to those who might not otherwise have been able to afford it… Your career is one of which the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons can be justly proud."
Upon announcing Katherine as the first life member of SWB, Director, Paul Anderson also paid tribute: "SWB is the success it is today is in no small part attributable to your belief and enthusiasm which you imparted as a founding member of our national executive".
Katherine is survived by her twin sister Karen and siblings, Kim and Stephen. In her memory, the family, and SWB are establishing the 'Katherine Edyvane Scholarship in International Surgery' to sponsor doctors or nurses to participate with SWB to teach in developing countries. With support of Timor Leste's former first lady, Kirsty Sword Gusmao, the Alola Foundation and the RACS, the 'Katherine Edyvane Breast Cancer Rural Traineeship' is being also established to train Timorese health workers in rural communities. Donations and partners to support these programs are welcome.
Professor David Fletcher FRACS, Head Department of General Surgery, Fiona Stanley Hospital, RACS Councillor
Mr Paul Anderson, FRACS, Chairman Specialists without Borders
Professor Karen Edyvane, Visiting Professor, National University of Timor Leste
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