Hospital Staff
Dr Fiona Mackie - Matthew's kidney doctor
Age: 41
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes
Occupation: Paediatric Nephrologist (kidney specialist)
How long have you been a doctor? Eighteen years
Where did you study? The University of Sydney
Brief career history: I undertook training in both adult and paediatric kidney disorders and specialised in paediatrics at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. I completed a Fellowship at Stanford University in California and was awarded a PhD in 2002
What do you enjoy most about your job? Improving the quality of life of children with kidney failure, through transplantation
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? Successfully resuscitating an extremely unwell transplant patient
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? Seeing the impact chronic illness has on the entire family and trying to manage the child's needs with those of the family unit
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? I would probably be a barrister
What do you do in your spare time? Boxing (non-combative), gym, cooking and reading
Dr Gad Kainer - Matthew's kidney doctor
Age: 59
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes
Occupation: Paediatric Nephrologist (kidney specialist)
How long have you been a doctor? 34 years
Where did you study? I was a medical student at the University of New South Wales; a resident at St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst; paediatric resident at RAHC and paediatric registrar at Sydney Children's Hospital.
I also undertook a fellowship in paediatric nephrology at Virginia Commonwealth University–Medical College of Virginia USA
Brief career history: After completing my training as a paediatrician, I worked as a general paediatrician with a special interest in nephrology. I had consultation rooms in Bondi Junction, Miranda and Liverpool and admitted patients to Sydney Children's Hospital, Prince Henry Hospital, Sutherland Hospital and Liverpool Hospital. After further training in the USA, I was appointed to the position of staff specialist at Sydney Children’s Hospital and I now hold the position of Senior Staff Specialist Nephrologist at Sydney Children's Hospital
What do you enjoy most about your job? Being able to correctly diagnose a child, using my knowledge and skills to help children get better and seeing young men and women "graduate" from the Hospital and start their adult life. Knowing that I have helped them get to that stage is very rewarding.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? Seeing the first child I dialysed for kidney failure as a newborn and cared for following a kidney transplant, reach adult age.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? Dealing with anxiety, both my own and that of the family. Helping families cope with their child's illness can be a challenge but is something that we must do.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? I truly don't know. I never wanted to do anything else.
What do you do in your spare time? Photography, seeing Australia and other parts of the world, babysitting my grandchildren, fixing things, listening to classical music, reading, time out with family and friends and playing golf.
Dr Jeremy Hunt - Cooper's doctor
Age: 41
Marital status: Married
Children: No children, two dogs
Occupation: Plastic Surgeon
How long have you been a doctor? Sixteen years
Where did you study? Sydney University, Children’s Medical Centre and Southwestern University in Dallas Texas.
Brief career history: I graduated from Sydney University in 1990, undertook surgical training and completed my Plastic Surgery training in Sydney in 2001. I completed a further year of craniofacial surgery training at the University of Texas, working with some of the leading Plastic Surgeons in the USA. I am currently a visiting surgeon at Sydney Children's Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, Prince of Wales Private Hospital and Concord Hospital. I also have private consultation rooms in Edgecliff, Menai and Wollongong.
What do you enjoy most about your job? In a relatively short time, helping change lives permanently and for the better.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? Continuing to simply have patients that say thank you with a smile
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? When children get sick, they can get very sick very quickly - day or night. That can create some challenges.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? Working on how to get into working in medicine!
What do you do in your spare time? Spend time with my family, surfing, walking my two dogs and playing golf.
Dr John Lawson - Liam's doctor
Age: 40
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes, several
Occupation: Neurologist
How long have you been a doctor? 18 years
Where did you study? Newcastle University
Brief career history: Trained in paediatrics and undertook my neurology training at Sydney Children's Hospital. I spent two years specialising in epilepsy training at Miami Children’s Hospital. I have been a permanent member of staff at SCH since 2002.
What do you enjoy most about your job? Providing the very best care for children and their families.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? The two years I spent living and working in Miami were outstanding.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? The knowledge that one can make mistakes and managing parents expectations.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? It is hard to imagine doing anything else.
What do you do in your spare time? Spare time is a difficult thing to come by!
Dr Warwick Stening
Age: 62
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes, several
Occupation: Neurosurgeon
How long have you been a doctor? 39 years
Where did you study? Sydney University and Edinburgh
Brief career history: I graduated from Sydney University in 1968 and travelled to Edinburgh in 1972, spending 18 months studying Neurosurgery.
I returned to Australia and became a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Prince of Wales Children's Hospital (now known as Sydney Children's Hospital) in 1978.
I am currently Head of Paediatric Neurosurgery at Sydney Children's Hospital and Clinical Stream Director for Neurosciences, Spinal & Rehabilitation for South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service. I also have a Master of Surgery for research that I have undertaken over the years.
What do you enjoy most about your job? The many challenges involved with being a neurosurgeon.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? Inventing a new operation in 1979, which is now being performed worldwide.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? Keeping the patients alive on the operating table.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? I have never wanted to do anything and have always wanted to work in medicine since the age of 8. My father was one of the doctors who founded the Prince of Wales Hospital site so I started reading his textbooks at an early age.
What do you do in your spare time? What spare time? Sleep.
Professor Glenn Marshall
Age: 51
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes, one
Occupation: Child Cancer Specialist and Cancer Researcher
How long have you been a doctor? 28 years
Where did you study? At the University of New South Wales
Brief career history: I began my medical training at St George Hospital and undertook my paediatric training and Fellowship in Paediatric Haematology/Oncology at the Prince of Wales Children's Hospital (now SCH). I also spent a few years in the Haematology/Oncology department at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, as part of a research Fellowship. I also spent some time at the University of Southern California.
I am currently the Director of the Centre for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders at Sydney Children's Hospital, the Head, Molecular Carcinogenesis Program, Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Professor at the School of Women's and Children's Health at the University of New South Wales and member of various national and international oncology committees.
What do you enjoy most about your job? Helping people, reducing human suffering and discovering things.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? Realising after a few years that I had chosen the right career path and making several important discoveries which have changed the way we treat children with cancer or leukaemia.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? Having to tell a family I cannot save their child's life.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? Practicing the law, a biologist or surfing.
What do you do in your spare time? Surfing on my longboard, running, spending time with the family, painting and cooking.
Dr Phillip Chang - Ashley's doctor
Age: 40
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes - two children
Occupation: Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon
How long have you been a doctor? 20 years
Where did you study? I was trained at the University of New South Wales and travelled to universities in Los Angeles USA, Zurich Switzerland and Cambridge England to continue my training.
Brief career history: I have been an adult surgeon at St Vincent's Hospital and a paediatric surgeon at Sydney Children's Hospital for the last seven years. I have been heavily involved with ear surgery, using implants to restore people’s hearing.
What do you enjoy most about your job? The best part of my job is seeing how hearing makes such as big difference in people's lives. Seeing someone at the time they are first able to hear and then seeing them so many years later is very rewarding.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career?
I recently received a call from one of my first patients, who received a cochlear implant when he was 8 months of age – he is now six. Without an implant, he would not have been able to reach any of the milestones that we take for granted such as speaking and hearing. Knowing that he can talk to me on the telephone, goes to a regular school and is like any other child is what this profession is all about. Restoring hearing has such a huge impact on the individual, each operation is so important.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? Having to tell parents that their child's hearing cannot be restored with medicine or an implant is the greatest challenge. Most parents have high hopes but unfortunately there are those rare occasions where modern science cannot assist. What we have to do is offer families a realistic recommendation of what can and cannot be done and give them a sense of hope that medicine does change and that something may be able to be done some day.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? I would probably be a jewellery maker. My work as a surgeon requires great finesse and discipline and is done under the microscope, so I'd either be a good surgeon or a good watchmaker!
What do you do in your spare time?
Spending time with my family, ocean swimming and I'm learning to surf (with no great success).
Dr David Lowinger - Bonnie's doctor
Age: 39
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes, three
Occupation: Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon
How long have you been a doctor? 14 years
Where did you study? University of Sydney
Brief career history: I undertook part of my training at Sydney Children's Hospital and was a resident at St Vincent's Hospital before moving on to Prince of Wales Hospital. For four years I took part in a throat training scheme at a variety of hospitals, followed by an observational fellowship at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, USA. I returned to SCH as a consultant in 2001.
I am currently a visiting medical officer at Prince of Wales, Prince of Wales Private and St Luke's Hospitals and have a teaching affiliation at the UNSW.
What do you enjoy most about your job? Interacting with patients and being a member of a strong surgical team.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career?
Seeing all the positive outcomes, helping children and their families through some very difficult periods and designing Ear Nose and Throat instruments which are now used internationally.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? Paediatric emergencies, cancers and tumours are always an emotional challenge, especially when the children you are caring for are the same age as your own.
Prof Andrew Rosenberg - Matthew's doctor
Age: 65
Marital status: Married
Children: Two children
Occupation: Paediatric Nephrologist (kidney specialist)
How long have you been a doctor? 40 years.
Where did you study? Sydney, Glasgow, London and Paris
Brief career history: I graduated from my medical training at Sydney University in 1966 and became a Consultant Paediatrician in 1973. I undertook further training and research in kidney disease overseas for four years.
In 1977 I returned to Australia and established The Department of Kidney Disease and Transplantation at Sydney Children's Hospital. Now 30 years later the department has grown from one Consultant to four, as well as a large multidisciplinary team dedicated to helping children with kidney disease.
I have also held national and international positions in various colleges and societies of nephrology, published 50 peer review papers and am an invited speaker around the world.
What do you enjoy most about your job? It is a combination of getting to know different people and the intellectual challenge of diagnosing and managing conditions in children. I am increasingly seeing children live full and happy lives as adults.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? I cannot pinpoint one, there are so many.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? Working together with every family to manage a child's care, so as to produce a positive result.
Dr Angus Gray - Fraser's Doctor
Age: 44
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes
Occupation: Orthopaedic Surgeon
How long have you been a doctor? 18 years
Where did you study? Sydney University
Brief career history: I finished my surgical training in 1999 and undertook a fellowship in Italy and USA in 2000. I have been at Sydney Children's Hospital since 2001.
What do you enjoy most about your job? The resilience and optimism of children.
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career? An infant girl I had first seen in the early 1990's developed an infection in one leg that markedly affected its growth. She eventually needed a shoe raise and walked with a limp. In 2001, I lengthened the leg 8cm. Three months after treatment, her father, a very reserved man, rang in tears to say his daughter had come second in the school cross country.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? The profoundly disabled children.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? Photography
What do you do in your spare time? Raising my children, chillin' with the wife, photography
Dr Kimberley Tan - Spencer's Doctor
Age: 37
Marital status: Married
Children: Yes, two children
Occupation: Ophthalmologist
How long have you been a doctor? 14 years
Where did you study? I completed my general medicine degree at UNSW, undertook four years of ophthalmology training in Melbourne, followed by paediatric ophthalmology training in the United Kingdom and Canada
Brief career history: I have worked at St George, Royal North Shore and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospitals. I also spent one year at a hospital in the United Kingdom and one year at a Canadian Hospital.
I have been at Sydney Children's Hospital since 2003 and also have a private practice in Sydney.
What do you enjoy most about your job? Unlike other specialties, the great thing about ophthalmology is that you tend to see children with eye complaints who are otherwise healthy. I also enjoy distracting children by singing songs (very poorly!).
What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career?
My work in third world countries. It really does bring you back down to earth and keeps you in touch with reality. Hopefully I can make the trip to countries such as Bangladesh and East Timor every year or two.
What is one of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics? One of the most challenging things about working in paediatrics is trying to project long term outcomes. With children, you need to plan well ahead into the future and make sure that you give each child the best vision and cosmetic outcomes for the next 80 years –as opposed to adults.
If you didn't work in medicine, what might you be doing? Being a house husband! Playing with the kids.
What do you do in your spare time? Playing with my children, spending time with family and friends and playing sports, especially basketball.
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