Dr Bethia Wilson AM
Patron, barrister, health commissioner, comedian/actor/artist, consumer
Beth has lived with stress incontinence and is a public speaker who deliver seminars, lectures, and lessons to consumers, caregivers, health care providers, businesses, and others.
She is a lawyer by training with a long-standing interest in medico-legal and ethical issues. Beth has worked as the Health Services Commissioner, Mental Health Review Board President, senior legal member of Social Security Appeals Board, Work Care Appeals Board, and President of the Victorian Branch of ANZAPPL (Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law). She is currently a Legal Member of the Victorian Mental Health Tribunal and a Patron of the Continence Foundation of Australia and The Satellite Foundation.
Alan White
Men’s health advocate/ author/prostate cancer survivor
Alan experienced continence issues after prostate cancer, for which he sought help. After making various lifestyle adjustments, today, his continence is good. Alan is a proud member of our Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) and received the 'Outstanding Achievement: Improving Public Healthcare' award at the 2019 Victorian Minister for Health Awards. He was nominated for his work in men's health, particularly his seven-year involvement with the NAVIGATE trial at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Audrey Burgin
Audrey Burgin is a Consumer Advocate and Continence Nurse Consultant in Brisbane with a long career working in community health nursing, aged care, continence promotion and management of incontinence. She has first hand experience of the impact incontinence has on people’s lives from caring for family members and others. Audrey strives to free people from the stigma of incontinence and encourages them to get help from health professionals. She has special interests in health promotion, consumer education, resource development, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
Margaret Bambrick
Margaret Bambrick is a consumer advocate for older Australians, particularly Forgotten Australians, who speaks regularly at Aged Care Forums. Born into a traumatic childhood marked by bladder incontinence, she developed an unwavering determination to make a difference in the lives of others.
As a nurse, Margaret gained experience in midwifery, domiciliary nursing, and community nursing with specialities in diabetes and continence. After retiring at the age of 70 Margaret volunteered at a local community centre, offering her support and compassion to people in need.
Margaret's determination, resilience, and empathy have seen her through many life challenges.
Leanne Murphy
Counsellor | Children’s book author | Consumer | Advocate | Birth Trauma consultant
Leanne has a Counselling private practice in Diamond Creek VIC, is a passionate advocate for women’s health, birth injuries and birth trauma (incl PTSD), is a consumer at Northern Health and Western Health hospitals, and author of a children’s book “When Mummy went to hospital”. Proudly her children Connor and Molly are the illustrators of that book.
Leanne suffered a catastrophic birth injury in 2011 which required six operations including an ileostomy bag, and later its reversal, and spent over 50 days in and out of hospital over that time. This injury resulted in her being faecally incontinent for many years. Leanne is a guest speaker about her birthing experience sharing to hospitals, universities and at professional development panels. She is also a consultant for maternity services and is called upon as a consumer for input representing mothers and/or babies.
Christin Young
Christin Young is a 27-year-old woman located in Sydney, NSW. Growing up in Wollongong, a city two hours south, she began experiencing untreatable and undiagnosed incontinence. This was alongside the onset of distressing symptoms that would later be diagnosed as a rare neurological condition, 'Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia' (PKD). Due to the nature of her chronic illnesses, it was a challenging 3 to 4 years before she was able to see a specialist and begin to attempt management.
Managing this throughout high school gave Christin unique insights into how the education system can best understand, accommodate, and address the impact that chronic illness can have on the mental health and identity of young people. As an adult, Christin has a heavy focus on highlighting the challenges around stigma for young men and women experiencing incontinence in Australia. She hopes to see change that elevates the support of young people with incontinence by the medical community.