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06 Oct 2022

Kathleen Wilkins: Embedding a regional consumer’s perspective

  • VCCC Alliance
  • Albury Wodonga Health

The VCCC Alliance is delighted to announce Kathleen Wilkins has joined its Cancer Consumer Advisory Committee (CCAC) as an Additional Member (Regional Victoria). Additional Members of CCAC are recruited to focus on identified needs of underserved groups, and Kathleen’s perspective of cancer care in a regional setting strengthens the breadth of experience on the committee.

We caught up with Kathleen as part of the VCCC Alliance – In Person series to hear more about her story, how she got involved as a consumer, and what it’s like being involved with the VCCC Alliance.

“I wanted to give back. The care my husband received while going through throat cancer treatment was appreciated and we were really happy with it.

People tend to think that working in the cancer space is depressing and horrible and not something that they want anything to do with – but it can be really interesting, particularly the research and clinical trials.

I’ve been contributing to the VCCC Alliance for about six years. I live in Albury Wodonga and heard about the alliance through Hume Regional Integrated Cancer Services.

I bring a regional perspective which is different to the viewpoint of people living in metropolitan areas.  I’m realistic – you can’t have everything living up here. I found this out when I was flown to Melbourne to have a heart bypass. I had two heart attacks 11 years ago. I collapsed in Darwin and the medical staff said, you are going to Melbourne tonight and you need a double heart bypass. I was given a less than five per cent chance of surviving my heart attack!

I love the people I have met through the alliance – other consumers and healthcare professionals. I value the experience I have been given and the confidence it has given me to speak up. When I first joined in the meetings I thought, I’m not up to this. Now I speak up. I’m allowed to express my views like everyone else. I feel valued and I want to be involved. Five years from now I’d like the VCCC Alliance to become well known in the general community, not just in the cancer sector.

My husband is doing fine now. We are dealing with the long-term effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy – heart issues, neuropathy, a lot of skin cancers. If we had known about these long-term effects eight years ago when he was diagnosed, we still would have gone ahead with treatment and thought ‘we’ll deal with that stuff later’. On the whole, he’s really good.”

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