Foundation News
Current Scholarship Recipients. Note our scholarships extend over two years
2019/20 Recipients
Rachael Golder – University of SA – Bachelor of Primary Education (Honours)
Gypsy-Rose Entriken – Adelaide University – Bachelor of Science Veterinary Bio Science (Double Degree)
Lily Melville – Flinders University – Bachelor of Psychology- Criminology
2020/2021 Recipients
Kathleen Arbury – University of SA – Bachelor of Psychology
Ben Roennfeldt University of SA – Bachelor of Primary Education (Honours)
Flinders University – To Be Advised
Note – University of SA selection panel unable to split the two applicants and sought approval for making a joint shared award.
Progress Reports
Adelaide University Provide us with Progress Reports
2018/19 recipient Ekia Evans successfully completed her second year of the Bachelor of Media with Bachelor of Arts program. Ekia achieved 4 Distinction and 4 Credit grades, therefore receiving a grade point average of 5.69 out of a possible 7.
2019/2020 recipient Gypsy-Rose Entriken completed her first year of Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience) program. Gypsy-Rose achieved 4 High Distinction, 2 Distinction and 2 Credit grades, therefore receiving a grade Point Average of 6.25 out of a possible 7.
Outstanding results. I will attempt to obtain results for our current recipients from the other two universities.
Article provided by John Semmler.
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LOOKING BACK
How would anyone ever forget Peter Thomas's District conference in Swan Hill in 1998? I was President of the Clare Club at that time and Peter was my District Governor. Peggy and I had only been to one other Conference in this district and that was the late PDG Neil Jackson's at Alice Springs in 1996, so we were sure going to attend Swan Hill, along with an expected huge contingent from the Barossa Valley Club. District Conferences are great for fun, fellowship and the opportunity to hear and enjoy many fine guest speakers. We have now attended 22 District Conferences and all being well we would hope to go to Bendigo next April, if this nasty Covid19 Pandemic is under control. Editor's note.
ROMAC and the BOSIN TWINS
On May 14th 1996, conjoined, Siamese twins were born on a small tropical island near war-torn Bougainville. The birth followed a long labour for 23 year old Magdalene who was excited with the prospect of starting a family, but nervous for her husband, Henry, who had lost his first wife in childbirth. At 10am the day before, the head of the first born appeared. Ten Hours later, after the local nurse sensed all was not well, Magdalene was transported in the back of a utility to a wharf, where a boat would carry her to a hospital just 400 metres away. Another two hours passed while documents were carefully processed because of the bloody Bougainville war.
Two doctors attended the birth at Buka’s Sohano Island Hospital and for two more hours, the baby refused to progress further. A decision was taken to transfer Magdalene to theatre, a primitive room with no running water, where a caesarean section was performed. A power failure mid delivery caused work to continue under the light of a full moon, which shone through a gaping hole in the ceiling.
Every person in that room was shocked, excited and astounded when two little girls joined at the chest were delivered and recorded a combined weight of about 4 kgs.
The Twins at birth
It was clear from the outset that one of the babies experienced breathing difficulties and the local doctors decided that urgent medical evacuation was necessary. The next day after the twins were flown to Port Moresby, ROMAC’s PNG representative, fired a fax to ROMAC in Australia, announcing the unusual birth and the possibility that only one child would survive any separation attempt. An optimum time for any operation was still six to ten weeks away.
One week later it was a very different story. In Port Moresby, the condition of one of the babies and their mother Magdalene deteriorated and doctors decided all three should be flown to Australia.
The ROMAC machine was about to be tested.
Minutes before heading off on a flight to Kuala Lumpur the mobile phone rang in the the PNG’s ROMAC representatives office with the chief of ROMAC in Australia, Barrie Cooper, on the line. He said “I’ve spoken with Ray Martin and A Current Affair and we’ll take them. Organise it now.”
Passports were organised for the girls in under 10 minutes. As Milne Bay Airlines prepared their medical evacuation aircraft, Omega Airlines in Australia flew their Medi-Vac Lear Jet from Melbourne to Sydney to pick up Ray Martin and his crew. Later that day both aircraft met in Townsville. Within hours the remarkable story of the Bosin Siamese Twins would attract media attention all over the world.
The twins were transferred to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital on May 22nd and one week later, the operation to separate the 25 day old girls took place. They were “joined face to face from the lower part of the chest to the umbilicus with the major visceral attachment being a large area of shared liver.”
Paediatric surgeon, Mr Alex Auldist, who had been in contact with Professor Watters in PNG complimented the efforts of our northern neighbours. “The local medical team did a great job under the circumstances to deliver healthy twins.”
Mr Auldist leaves no doubt about the seriousness of the situation.
“Safe separation of such twins is possible only in a Hospital like the Royal Children’s in Melbourne where there is a large team of people including anaesthetists, neonatal paediatricians, specialised
neonatal nurses, and a host of other supporting staff, including radiologists, biochemists, dieticians who are all trained in the care of children.”
His final comment was "I thank the large team of people including ROMAC for making their care possible.”
The Bosin Twins- Eusthocia and Eaustina at about the same age when they arrived and surprised everyone at the Swan Hill Conference - 1998.
Eusthocia and Eaustina
20 years on and Eusthocia has graduated with a Diploma in Business in Madang and Eaustina will graduate later this year as a Primary School Teacher also in Madang.
(As you wipe away the tears of joy, isn't this just a wonderful Rotary story? ROMAC - Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children)