Meet Zonta Toowoomba’s Woman of the Year
THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF THE ZONTA CLUB WITH TOOWOOMBA’S WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Dr Sharyn Donaldson is running late to receive her award at the annual International Women’s Day luncheon. Today, she is a working as a general practitioner and her appointments have run over.
Club president Katherine Galea doesn’t seem to mind. “We can all get busy,” Katherine says. “Sharyn was one of many high-calibre applicants this year, it’s incredible what women are doing for the local community and they are all very humble and just quietly getting on with it.
“However, Sharyn makes a significant contribution over such a broad range of areas. She really embodies what Zonta is all about, which is raising the status of women and helping them improve their lives.”
Sharyn is certainly a worthy recipient. The principal doctor at St Andrew’s Hospital’s Diagnostic Breast Clinic, she also makes time as a general practitioner. She is CEO of Blush Cancer Care Inc and owner/manager of café, catering and cooking school The Sauce Kitchen.
For the Style cover shoot I meet Sharyn at Sauce. The cafe has a casual, homely atmosphere where the cooks work in an open space preparing food and making coffee.
“Sauce really grew out of a passion but has given work to some long-term unemployed and attempted to reinvigorate supporting ventures in our local community,” Sharyn says.
“I think baking and creating food also allows women to come together, often in times of crisis, to support others and give back to others.”
Instrumental in the establishment of the Diagnostic Breast Clinic at St Andrew’s Hospital in 2000, supporting women in times of crisis is a cause close to Sharyn. Since the clinic’s inception the quality of cancer screening and care in the region has improved dramatically. More importantly though, Sharyn says the team has been able to empower and educate women in their choices regarding breast cancer screening.
“We also are empowering women to have ‘bad news’ delivered in a much more optimal setting with instant results and support through all stages of diagnosis.”
Realising the need for additional funding, Sharyn started Blush Cancer Care Inc in 2012 to raise money to go directly back to local patients.
“Blush at its core is a small group of women who volunteer to raise funds and host functions,” Sharyn says.
“We liaise very closely with both St Andrew’s and St Vincent’s and the medical and allied health professions involved in the care of the patients, so funds raised are prioritised to areas of need.”
“For example,” Sharyn says, “we co-fund the wages of the breast care nurses at St Andrew’s and St Vincent’s Hospitals and these nurses are integral to the care of patients from the time of diagnosis, at all stages of their treatment.
“They help patients move towards healthier lifestyles through education, practical and emotional support. They probably have made the biggest impact in the care of the breast cancer patients; they work as psychologists, social workers and liaise between patients, specialists, general practitioners and more.”
Sharyn says acute inpatients receive a Blush Bundle at the start of their treatment, which along with a few pampering products, has a Blush diary allowing them to track their appointments and investigations.
“In the first six months of treatment patients can have up to 50 appointments, so the idea was to help them get organised and in turn feel more in control.”
Last year, Sharyn expanded the reach of Blush with Blush goes Bush. Medical forums were held in Warwick, Goondiwindi, St George and Roma.
“Rural women with breast cancer have poorer survival outcomes, unmet psycho-social needs, difficulty accessing breast care nurses and allied health services.”
And this year Blush, in partnership with Queensland X-ray and local gym Fitlab, debuted the Fighting Back with Fitness program, which offers 12 women at a time to attend a 10-week program of personally prescribed exercise.
“We have one patient currently going through acute treatment, who will stay in Toowoomba specifically so she can do this program. She said it’s the only thing that has got her through the treatment.
“We are looking to facilitate a hundred women over the next two years through this program and hopefully beyond,” Sharyn says smiling.
“It’s very exciting. And it’s empowering for women, which is what we aim to do. So through education and support they can choose their own pathway to navigate through breast cancer.”
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