Deeply personal experiences of adversity are behind some of the winners of the 2027 Australian of the Year awards for Western Australia, including a mother whose son lost his sight during the COVID lockdowns.
Telehealth innovator Esther Oh invented specially designed smart glasses and headsets to help frontline medical staff in remote locations connect with specialised practitioners and AI assisted technology.
She developed the technology after her own experiences trying to get help for her teenage son.
The invention, called Agili8, has been used in remote Aboriginal communities, including for a patient who was “was saved from deadly infection and potential amputation in just 15 minutes”, according to the award citation.
It said the invention came about after her young son became blind because of delayed treatment during the pandemic.
She was named the Australian of the Year for Western Australia on Friday night.
Eating disorder work recognised
Another recipient who turned her lived experience of adversity into something positive was Phoebe Ho, who has worked to help people with eating disorders recover physically and mentally.
Ms Ho, who has been named 2027 Young Australian of the Year for WA, is a clinical psychologist who has drawn on her own experience of eating disorders to help her patients at the Child and Adolescent Health Service.
Phoebe Ho won the Young Australian of the Year for WA. (ABC News: Stella McGann)
“Her lived experience continues to inform her clinical work and research, including exploring the role it can play as a part of a patient’s recovery process,” the citation reads.
Lifeline volunteer
Lifeline WA’s longest-serving volunteer, Tina Baldwin, 78, has been honoured with the Senior Australian of the Year award for WA.
Ms Baldwin, who with her husband Daniel were Lifeline WA’s first volunteer crisis supporters in the mid-1980s, has taken over 33,000 calls from people in desperate situations over more than 40 years.
“In each case, Tina responds with compassion, openness and a willingness to listen,” her citation reads.
Indigenous champion
Binar Indigenous basketball association founder Adam Desmond, 47, has been named WA’s 2027 Local Hero for his vision in setting up the organisation.
Adam Desmond was named Local Hero for his work with basketball outreach group Binar. (ABC News: Stella McGann)
“Today, Binar provides wraparound support through basketball, education, health, mentoring and cultural identity, creating positive pathways for young people both on and off the court,” his citation read.