Every Australia Day, staff at The Knight recognise a worthy recipient(s), for our ‘Australian Knight’ award, who has demonstrated qualities that personify those of a Knight.
This year, we wish to acknowledge Professor Fiona Wood, AM as our Australian of the Year, our Australian Knight.
Click here to view our 2018 Australia Day Card
The Knight donated $10,000 to the Fiona Wood Foundation.
Professor Fiona Wood’s Bio
Australia’s standing within the global community is nurtured by forward thinking, creative and innovative Scientists, Researchers, Surgeons, Engineers and Business Leaders; to name a few.
At The Knight we wish to acknowledge Professor Fiona Wood, AM as our Australian of the Year; our 2018 Australian Knight.
Professor Fiona Wood is one of Australia’s most innovative and respected surgeons and researchers. A highly skilled plastic and reconstructive surgeon and world leading burns specialist; pioneering burns medicine.
Professor Wood met her husband Tony in the UK when they were trainee doctors – they had a whirlwind romance and Tony said if they were to be together she would have to move to Perth (Australia) not Perth (Scotland).
In 1987 Professor Wood found herself in Australia after which she completed her medical training. During this time Professor Wood was inspired by Professor Harold McComb and who, in Professor Woods own words, was an ‘extraordinary man and an extraordinary surgeon.’
From the poem ‘My Country’ Dorothea Mackellar penned words such as ‘sunburnt country’ and ‘land of flood, fire and famine.’
It is fortunate that Professor Wood chose Australia as her adopted home. At the time of the Bali bombings Professor Wood coordinated a major recovery unit, and using her innovative burns treatment lives were saved and the outcome for many others was vastly improved.
As quoted by Professor Wood “Everything we learn means that we do better tomorrow. The first patient I treated with culture skin changed the lives of many, many people who came afterwards. It’s only by learning the hard lessons that we get better.”
Professor Wood is highly regarded as she has been recognised as an Australian Living Treasure.
The Fiona Wood Foundation follows in the footsteps of the McComb Foundation and it is this Foundation and those who contribute to it that will greatly assist Professor Wood in her ongoing quest to continue to make a difference to people’s lives.