As a year year 12 student, Townsville’s Hannah Bellwood took off the 2007-08 Leo of the Year title. Thirteen years later Hannah MD, now Brisbane-based, married and soon to become a fully fledged anaesthetist, recalls her win and recounts how it helped change her life.
It was life-changing in a way I can’t even describe. Even just being involved in Leos was life-changing. What I really learnt and loved was the capacity to communicate with people from all walks of life, meeting people and learning what their common goals are. Helping people basically underpins Lions.
What do recall of your 2007-2008 win?
I’m one of those people with quite a good memory for these things. My topic was Opportunity Knocks and it was about seizing opportunities, and there were so many of those that came in my time with Leos and Lions. In Leos, I had so many opportunities to do cool and exciting things, contribute to people. It was at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. I can’t remember how many hundred people I spoke in front of but I was in grade 12 at the time and it was a really big deal, presenting to so many distinguished people. Lions come from all different walks of life so it was an overwhelming feeling. And I was lucky to win. I was nervous but I had been doing a lot of speech and drama in my schooling up until that point, and there was also that little bit of excitement. I do like being on the stage and putting on a bit of a performance in some ways, but regardless of the outcome I was just so excited to be in Sydney. I was in high school at the time so the idea of going on a trip by myself with my friends … it was going to be great regardless.
Did your win change your life in any way?
It was life-changing in a way I can’t even describe. Even just being involved in Leos was life-changing. What I really learnt and loved was the capacity to communicate with people from all walks of life, meeting people and learning what their common goals are. Helping people basically underpins Lions. And I then went on to a career in medicine, so the things I learnt through Leos and Lions basically have extrapolated to my career.
So did medicine run in your family?
There were no doctors in my family. It was a combination of things like Leos and Lions and my schooling, and I quite enjoyed science. Leos and Lions made me realise I wanted a career that involved helping people and learning what people experience in their lives. You can’t underestimate what difference you make through altruism, doing something for your fellow man. My way of combining that and science was to do something in healthcare. I decided to aim high with medicine. It all just worked out and I loved it and I got the marks and I managed to get through.
You have gained many honours, from graduating from medicine/surgery with an Academic Medal and as Class Valedictorian to being named the Australian Medical Association Queensland’s junior medical officer and medical student of the year. What do you consider your greatest achievement over those 13 years?
It’s going to sound very cheesy but I think my greatest achievement if anything is marrying my husband, who used to be a Leo as well. All the career stuff aside, unless you’re got someone to share your life with, where it’s all fun, none of that other stuff matters much. There’s a lot of study in medicine and lots of exams. I just finished my final exam last year, and it’s a bit of an existential moment. After 13 years on the hamster wheel of specialty training you realise you never have to do another exam if you don’t have to. So that was pretty special.
What made you turn to anaesthetics?
I enjoyed it as a medical student and my part-time job through medical school was working in a pharmacy. Again, I liked being around people and I quite enjoyed pharmacology and medications … and also stickers – yes, I’m one of those Office Works sort of people. Anaesthetics is kind of an unknown specialty to a lot of the general public. (As anaesthetists) we really have finessed procedural skills, we’re experts in resuscitation. We’re very much in control of everyone’s physiology when they’re asleep and we have to keep them very safe. It’s a vulnerable time for patients and I really like being put in a position of trust and compassion, that you are there to take care of their life right there in that moment. People forget that the surgery couldn’t happen without us.
What will you do when you’re fully qualified?
That’s a good question. Once I’ve finished my training it’s just about finding, not my forever job, but just a fulltime specialist appointment. My intention is to stay in Brisbane because Peter (Hodgson), my husband, has become a partner of his company down here. He’s a partner of a financial and accounting firm and is a financial planner himself.
I know you were both members of Twin Cities Leo Club in Townsville, but had you and Peter known one another for long before marrying?
Yeah, we met in 2010, the year he joined Leos. Everyone just thought he joined the club because he liked me but he ended up doing our most successful club project ever. And then we got married in 2016, six years later. And that was four years ago.
Was that project Sail4Palsy?
Yeah. At that time our club had about 20 members and Peter’s sister has got cerebral palsy, so it was a project close to his heart. It was just phenomenal that such a group of young people could manage to rally all Townsville’s community to make exceptional donations, put together this project. Peter sailed his little catamaran, which is only about 14-foot long, from Townsville to Cairns in peak summer cyclone season. It managed to raise $15,000, quite a lot for a bunch of uni students. To this day we very much put that achievement up on the shelf. Like we can’t believe we did that. We’ll never top it.
What do you think about young people becoming involved in quests like Leo of the Year? Good for them?
Absolutely, and without a doubt I’d highly recommend joining Leos. It changed my life in that it’s one of those unique opportunities you get to actually do some sort of community service. It’s not just the fundraising. It puts young people in a position of meeting others they wouldn’t usually, and learning how to communicate and work in teams. I had some amazing opportunities to travel as a result of it. Like public speaking, learning your own skills and having the opportunity to build on those sort of things. I hope Leos continues its success for years to come.
Older Lions often say ‘we’re not attracting enough young people. We don’t know how to attract them, they’re not interested’. Any suggestions from your experience? Things that could be done better?
It’s a busy, busy world and I think in some ways people put off joining Lions and Leos because they don’t have the time for them. Any strategies that make things as time-efficient as possible, or that allow people to contribute in any other ways they can, will make it easier. One of the silver linings to come out of Covid is the increased use of technology. If Lions meetings have the capacity to be run with technologies like Zoom, that will probably allow more people, especially those with work and family commitments, to be involved.
At the same time, whilst it’s hard to always attract younger members, the success of Lions has been built a lot on people at a certain time in their lives and their careers. Don’t stress. I think young people will get to that point in their lives too, where Lions is going to offer them what they want. It’s something that applies to me. I feel I have come full circle and Lions is something that I will come back to, definitely.
Story originally by Tony Fawcett.
Does your Club have a Superhero worth acknowledging?
/in NEWS /by adminDoes your club have a Superhero or two working with you? Someone who deserves a little more recognition? Don’t forget you can nominate them for the 201 Heroes for LCIF campaign.
As part of the Campaign 100 program, Lions Australia is looking for 201 Heroes within Australia and Papua New Guinea. Lions nominated by clubs will be recognised by:
Nominate a hero now!
Take a look at our LCIF Heroes so far…
Hero Lion – Jan Foreman
/in Lion Hero /by adminLion Jan Foreman is a member of the Lions Club of the Young in NSW. Jan’s colleagues in the Young Lions Club think that Jan is the quintessential allrounder!
Yarrawonga Lions sew over 40,000 turbans for cancer patients
/in HEALTH, NEWS, OUR STORIES /by adminThe Yarrawonga Lions Club in Victoria meet every Tuesday to sew, pack and dispatch turbans for cancer patients who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy.
Since the Club began the project in 2015, they have made over 40,000 turbans which have been distributed to oncology units all over Australia, and some overseas.
The project was founded by Club member, Debbie Van Corler, a cancer survivor herself. The club affectionately refers to Debbie as the ‘Turban Mum’.
Club President Joan Tufvesson says “The group is dedicated and set a very high standard as the recipients, who are going through a dark stage of their lives, deserve the best. Although their task has a serious element to it, this is not reflected in the ambiance of the room on Tuesdays, where there is lots of laughter and witty banter that makes the day a joy for all that attend.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turban Angels have utilised their sewing skills to make face masks as another fundraising means for the turban project.
Find out more about the Made With Love Free Chemotherapy Turbans.
Life after Leos
/in OUR STORIES /by adminAs a year year 12 student, Townsville’s Hannah Bellwood took off the 2007-08 Leo of the Year title. Thirteen years later Hannah MD, now Brisbane-based, married and soon to become a fully fledged anaesthetist, recalls her win and recounts how it helped change her life.
What do recall of your 2007-2008 win?
I’m one of those people with quite a good memory for these things. My topic was Opportunity Knocks and it was about seizing opportunities, and there were so many of those that came in my time with Leos and Lions. In Leos, I had so many opportunities to do cool and exciting things, contribute to people. It was at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. I can’t remember how many hundred people I spoke in front of but I was in grade 12 at the time and it was a really big deal, presenting to so many distinguished people. Lions come from all different walks of life so it was an overwhelming feeling. And I was lucky to win. I was nervous but I had been doing a lot of speech and drama in my schooling up until that point, and there was also that little bit of excitement. I do like being on the stage and putting on a bit of a performance in some ways, but regardless of the outcome I was just so excited to be in Sydney. I was in high school at the time so the idea of going on a trip by myself with my friends … it was going to be great regardless.
Did your win change your life in any way?
It was life-changing in a way I can’t even describe. Even just being involved in Leos was life-changing. What I really learnt and loved was the capacity to communicate with people from all walks of life, meeting people and learning what their common goals are. Helping people basically underpins Lions. And I then went on to a career in medicine, so the things I learnt through Leos and Lions basically have extrapolated to my career.
So did medicine run in your family?
There were no doctors in my family. It was a combination of things like Leos and Lions and my schooling, and I quite enjoyed science. Leos and Lions made me realise I wanted a career that involved helping people and learning what people experience in their lives. You can’t underestimate what difference you make through altruism, doing something for your fellow man. My way of combining that and science was to do something in healthcare. I decided to aim high with medicine. It all just worked out and I loved it and I got the marks and I managed to get through.
You have gained many honours, from graduating from medicine/surgery with an Academic Medal and as Class Valedictorian to being named the Australian Medical Association Queensland’s junior medical officer and medical student of the year. What do you consider your greatest achievement over those 13 years?
It’s going to sound very cheesy but I think my greatest achievement if anything is marrying my husband, who used to be a Leo as well. All the career stuff aside, unless you’re got someone to share your life with, where it’s all fun, none of that other stuff matters much. There’s a lot of study in medicine and lots of exams. I just finished my final exam last year, and it’s a bit of an existential moment. After 13 years on the hamster wheel of specialty training you realise you never have to do another exam if you don’t have to. So that was pretty special.
What made you turn to anaesthetics?
I enjoyed it as a medical student and my part-time job through medical school was working in a pharmacy. Again, I liked being around people and I quite enjoyed pharmacology and medications … and also stickers – yes, I’m one of those Office Works sort of people. Anaesthetics is kind of an unknown specialty to a lot of the general public. (As anaesthetists) we really have finessed procedural skills, we’re experts in resuscitation. We’re very much in control of everyone’s physiology when they’re asleep and we have to keep them very safe. It’s a vulnerable time for patients and I really like being put in a position of trust and compassion, that you are there to take care of their life right there in that moment. People forget that the surgery couldn’t happen without us.
What will you do when you’re fully qualified?
That’s a good question. Once I’ve finished my training it’s just about finding, not my forever job, but just a fulltime specialist appointment. My intention is to stay in Brisbane because Peter (Hodgson), my husband, has become a partner of his company down here. He’s a partner of a financial and accounting firm and is a financial planner himself.
I know you were both members of Twin Cities Leo Club in Townsville, but had you and Peter known one another for long before marrying?
Yeah, we met in 2010, the year he joined Leos. Everyone just thought he joined the club because he liked me but he ended up doing our most successful club project ever. And then we got married in 2016, six years later. And that was four years ago.
Was that project Sail4Palsy?
Yeah. At that time our club had about 20 members and Peter’s sister has got cerebral palsy, so it was a project close to his heart. It was just phenomenal that such a group of young people could manage to rally all Townsville’s community to make exceptional donations, put together this project. Peter sailed his little catamaran, which is only about 14-foot long, from Townsville to Cairns in peak summer cyclone season. It managed to raise $15,000, quite a lot for a bunch of uni students. To this day we very much put that achievement up on the shelf. Like we can’t believe we did that. We’ll never top it.
What do you think about young people becoming involved in quests like Leo of the Year? Good for them?
Absolutely, and without a doubt I’d highly recommend joining Leos. It changed my life in that it’s one of those unique opportunities you get to actually do some sort of community service. It’s not just the fundraising. It puts young people in a position of meeting others they wouldn’t usually, and learning how to communicate and work in teams. I had some amazing opportunities to travel as a result of it. Like public speaking, learning your own skills and having the opportunity to build on those sort of things. I hope Leos continues its success for years to come.
Older Lions often say ‘we’re not attracting enough young people. We don’t know how to attract them, they’re not interested’. Any suggestions from your experience? Things that could be done better?
It’s a busy, busy world and I think in some ways people put off joining Lions and Leos because they don’t have the time for them. Any strategies that make things as time-efficient as possible, or that allow people to contribute in any other ways they can, will make it easier. One of the silver linings to come out of Covid is the increased use of technology. If Lions meetings have the capacity to be run with technologies like Zoom, that will probably allow more people, especially those with work and family commitments, to be involved.
At the same time, whilst it’s hard to always attract younger members, the success of Lions has been built a lot on people at a certain time in their lives and their careers. Don’t stress. I think young people will get to that point in their lives too, where Lions is going to offer them what they want. It’s something that applies to me. I feel I have come full circle and Lions is something that I will come back to, definitely.
Story originally by Tony Fawcett.
Lion Karen Feeds the Multitude
/in OUR STORIES /by adminWhen Covid-19 first started spreading in Australia, Western Australian nurse Karen Molcher feared the worst. Karen, a nurse for much of her life, had seen one of her own sisters in the UK come down with a suspected case, and being English-born she had watched in horror as the disease wreaked havoc across that nation.
A 17-year Lion with the Gosnells club, Karen was working casual shifts at the local Armadale hospital but desperately wanted to do more. “It was crazy,” she says. “We were putting doors on areas that didn’t have doors, doing PPE training, looking at process and everything. I was sitting at home thinking ‘I just want to be at work helping’. I felt guilty because at that time I was probably working 20 hours a week. Then wards started to close because they stopped elective surgery, so they were bringing staff into emergency.”
That’s when Karen, then secretary of Gosnells Lions Club, saw her chance. She had noticed doctors and nurses around her were skipping meals, too busy to eat during shifts and too tired to eat healthily away from work. “Our doctors work rotating shifts – afternoons, mornings and nights – and our cafe wasn’t as operational,” explains Karen.
After speaking to her husband, PDG Dave Molcher, Karen, a keen cook (she calls herself “a feeder” because of her need to feed others), approached hospital management to cook up meals herself for staff. As she had extensive training in quality and infection control, it agreed.
Turning their kitchen into a process line and with Dave as chief kitchen hand, Karen spent her days off preparing vast quantities of everything from barbecue sausages and bean casserole and minestrone soup to chilli con carne. Meals were frozen and, using a freezer from their caravan, were stockpiled at the hospital so staff could help themselves. A menu of the frozen ready-to-eat dishes was displayed daily to make choosing easier.
Instantly staff, many of them single and living alone, took to the service. With the support of nurse manager Carmen Callaghan, the initiative grew in popularity. In nine weeks and despite being called into the hospital’s Covid clinic to work extra shifts, Karen produced a phenomenal 550 meals to feed her work stressed colleagues.
When Karen and Dave’s food bills started mounting, they approached fellow Gosnells Lions for help.
A Zoom meeting quickly decided the club was in – although because of health and safety requirements it was purely on a monetary basis. Initially a budget of $500 was discussed but rejected, the club preferring to tip in “whatever is needed”.
Along with her cooking project, at the same time Karen found herself at the centre of a Gosnells Lions Club hat-making initiative. With her time taken up working hospital shifts or cooking meals, she began suffering “bad Covid hair”.
Kai Spence awarded Leo of the Year 2021
/in Uncategorized /by adminKai Spence of the Central Queensland Leo Club in Lions District Q4 (Rockhampton) has been awarded the title of 2021 Leo of the Year.
Competing on-stage at the Lions National Convention in Canberra in May 2021, Kai impressed the judges and audience with a heartwarming presentation about his experience of becoming a father.
Kai has been actively involved in his Leo club since joining, holding a variety of roles including President, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Chairperson.
The Leo of the Year program offers young people the opportunity to share and celebrate their passion and commitment to community service, and a platform to voice their opinions on topics close to their heart.
Over the next 12 months, Kai will travel around Australia visiting Lions Clubs with the goal of inspiring members to open more Leo Clubs.
Leo members compete at a local and state level before each state nominates a finalist to compete on stage at the Lions National Convention.
Participants are awarded points based on the following:
Find out more about the Leo Club program.
Lions club project – ‘Elsie’s Retreat’ – brings first ever palliative care unit to Gosford
/in HEALTH, NEWS /by adminThe NSW Central Coast has its first dedicated in-patient palliative care unit, thanks to the dedicated members of The Lions Club of Wyoming East Gosford Centennial.
Having identified the need for a dedicated palliative care unit almost 12 years ago, the Elsie’s Project began when much-loved Central Coast resident, Elsie Green, was diagnosed with breast cancer. At just 51 years of age, Elsie was not able to secure a hospice bed and sadly lost her battle with cancer while living in a nursing home. Elsie was passionate about the need for a dedicated palliative care unit, and her friends at the Lions Club promised they would do their best to make it happen.
The club spent eight years campaigning, fundraising and rallying support from the community before the NSW government finally allocated a space to make their dream a reality – the former maternity ward at Gosford Hospital.
As well as their own fundraising and community donations of approximately $300,000, the club received a $130,000 grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).
The unit officially opened in April 2021, with 10 patient beds (with the ability to expand to 14), sofa beds for family/carers, two large family rooms, a lounge area with kitchenette facilities, a children’s area and an outdoor deck. Eslie’s Retreat was opened by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and local MP Adam Crouch.
Lions supporting vital research in Rheumatism and Arthritis
/in NEWS, RESEARCH & INNOVATION /by admin1 in 6 Australians are currently living with arthritis. That’s almost 4 million people and it’s expected to be 5.4 million by 2030.
Rheumatism and arthritis can affect anyone at any age, and can cause significant pain and disability.
The Lions Rheumatism and Arthritis Medical Foundation is on a mission to support research to help control and possibly eliminate rheumatic and arthritic diseases.
With the help of Lions Clubs and their communities right across Australia, the Lions Rheumatism and Arthritis Medical Research Foundation has donated over $460,000 to rheumatism and arthritis research.
The Foundation has worked closely with Monash University providing pieces of equipment to help fund vital work. The Foundation has also sponsored a PHD student for 3 years.
Recently a $10,000 donation was made to Monash University to purchase equipment for the Psoriatic Arthritis team.
For more information on The Lions Rheumatism and Arthritis Medical Foundation visit http://www.lionsrheumatismfoundation.org.au
Lions Alzheimer’s Foundation supports new children’s book to better explain dementia
/in NEWS, RESEARCH & INNOVATION /by adminOne of the fastest growing diseases in Australia, Alzheimer’s is now the second largest cause of death.
Research into the causes and prevention of Alzheimer’s has never been more important and Lions Alzheimer’s Foundation is committed to raising awareness and the much-needed funds to support this vital work.
The Foundation has recently teamed up with celebrity chef Maggie Beer to contribute to a national breakthrough book: A children’s picture book about living well with dementia.
Dancing with Memories is written by Sally Yule and illustrated by Cheryl Orsini.
Professor Martins was West Australian of the Year 2010 and Maggie Beer was Senior Australian of the Year. They collaborated on the successful Recipes for Life book, published in 2019.
In the book, Professor Martins provides expert advice with a dementia Q&A and Maggie contributes recipes for healthy children’s food.
The book is available at: www.dancingwithmemories.com.au or email sally@dancingwithmemories.com.au
Part proceeds go to the Lions Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and the Maggie Beer Foundation, raising funds to support vital research in aged care and dementia.
Lions Spinal Cord Fellowship raising funds for Step Ahead Australia
/in NEWS, RESEARCH & INNOVATION /by adminSpinal cord injury affects millions of people around the world and around 20,000 Australians are currently living with a spinal cord injury. The cost to patients and their families is significant. In Australia it is estimated to be $2 billion annually.
Despite the costs and impact of spinal cord injury, funding to find a cure for chronic spinal cord injury is limited.
The Lions Australia Spinal Cord Fellowship is committed to raising awareness and funds to support more research. 100% of funds raised by the Fellowship are provided to Step Ahead Australia, a leading Australian organization on a mission to improve the quality of life for patients and find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Traumatic spinal cord injury results in the loss of neurons, support cells and the failure of severe nerve fibres to regenerate across sites of injury and re- establish neural circuits.
Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia is the partial or complete paralysis of the upper and lower portion of the body, including legs, trunk arms and hands. Quadriplegia is a neck injury. Paraplegia is the partial or complete paralysis of the lower portion of the body, including the legs and, in many cases, some or all the trunk. Paraplegia is a back injury.
By supporting the most innovative scientists and clinicians in Australia and throughout the world, StepAhead Australia is focused on the development of breakthrough nervous system repair technologies that can have a major impact on the quality of life for people suffering with these chronic disorders.
To date the Lions Spinal Cord Fellowship has raised in excess of $2.3 million for StepAhead Australia.
For more information on The Lions Spinal Cord Fellowship visit https://lascf.org.au
For more information on StepAhead Australia visit http://www.stepahead.org.au