THE AMAZING STEVE PEUSCHEL

“I spent the majority of my time at University thinking about the
time when I could make a positive and substantial contribution
to the community”

Steve, who suffered with Cystic Fibrosis, felt very lucky that he was able to complete his schooling and at least start University before his health interrupted his studies. In 2003 Steve had a double lung transplant. He started rehabilitation immediately and was home within eleven days. As Prof Snell has said, Steve’s tireless effort in the background has been of immense benefit to the transplant family.

You may not know Steve Peuschel personally but you may have ‘seen’ him around The Alfred.  Steve’s ‘before and after’ photograph was one of the posters around the hospital which were used topromote The Alfred Foundation’s fundraising.

In the same year as his transplant Steve thought that if he competed in the Red Cross Murray Marathon it would get media coverage for organ donation and raise further funds for The Alfred.  This is the world’s longest kayak race of 404 km over five days. Physicians initially thought this would be impossible. Steve managed to recruit the required health specialists to accompany him to the event to monitor his health. He was approached by Ford Performance Vehicles who met the costs of
his 10 person crew (including the specialist physicians and physiotherapist

Steve had already set up the Lilly Foundation (2002) initially as a way to increase awareness and education around the issues of organ transplant within the community. He began speaking to corporate Australia and Rotary clubs around Victoria to raise money for programs within The Alfred.  The Lilly Foundation was listed as a major donor to The Alfred Hospital in its annual reports of 2006, 2007 and 2008, and raised more than $1,000,000 over three years

Following on from the Murray Marathon, Ford contributed a further $30,000 to the Lilly Foundation whilst the Australian Rotary Health Research Foundation contributed a further $50,000. These funds were used in 2004 to initiate the ‘Donation after Cardiac Death’ Research Project. This successful research program continued for three years and from the research The Alfred Lung Transplant Service was able to develop a clinical DCD Lung Transplant Service. Since the inception of this program, 18 lives have been saved due to successful lung transplants which would not have otherwise been possible

In 2005 Steve received information that the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne was closing its Lung Transplant Service. This would have resulted in many critically ill Victorian children missing out on life saving lung transplants. He met with The Alfred staff to discuss the possibility of working with them to formulate a paediatric transplant protocol. He approached Ronald McDonald House Charities to fund a Paediatric Transplant Fellow and to purchase vital equipment for the program to
begin. Within three months the $300,000 had been secured which was needed to initiate the program. McDonald’s has extended the contract for at least a further three years with additional funding. Since commencement of the Paediatric Lung Transplant Program at The Alfred, 10 children have received life saving transplants.

In March 2004, Steve was invited to speak to the Jewish organization, B’Nai Brith. This series of talks was specifically designed to give the broader Jewish community a greater understanding of organ transplantation and how this fits in with the Jewish faith. He subsequently had a tree planted in the B’Nai B’rith Forest of Peace in the Galilee to mark his endeavour for greater peace and understanding amongst the people of the world.

In 2004 he also completed formal training in Public Speaking at RMIT. He was the Keynote Speaker at the Rotary International District Conference of 2004. In 2006 he was awarded The Paul Harris Fellow*.

In 2006 he was the Keynote Speaker at the Royal Children’s Hospital Neonatal Unit Royal Gala Ball  He was also selected to participate in the Commonwealth Games Baton Relay in recognition of his contribution to the community

In 2008 Steve was appointed to two Advisory Committees: - the Victorian Medicines Advisory Committee (VMAC) which advises the Department of Human Services and leads the strategic direction and policy development for Quality Use of Medicines in Victoria and the Victorian Hospital Acquired Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) - The primary aim of VICNISS is to lower the number of infections acquired in Victorian hospitals. Established in 2002, the program is coordinated by the VICNISS Coordinating Centre, which collects and analyses data on hospital acquired infections, and reports data back to participants and the Department of Human Services

Steve established the St Helena Tennis Centre in Melbourne’s North East. From 2004 until recently,  Steve was running the business with a ‘hands on’ approach. He had completed the Tennis Australia Accredited Coaches course and was responsible for the employment of four coaches, advertising, administration, training schedules and coaching clinics for all ages, as well as providing personal training clinics for clients

But Steve is now on another quest to continue his promotion of organ and tissue donation. This time his passion is as the Development Manager with Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation**.

His role in development is primarily to build relationships with corporate Australia to see our long term goals are met. He says he will not stop until all Australians get the same chance as he did in 2003. He wants to help the Foundation take the message to our younger generation - and to the World.

Now in 2009, happy and healthy, every day Steve thanks the wonderful health professionals, his family and friends for their support, advice and treatment. Steve continues to be available if needed to offer support to patients waiting for transplant at The Alfred.

Steve said that although very proud of his involvement within transplant, it is his children that he lives for. Steve and Melinda’s daughter Ava was born at 27 weeks at the Mercy Hospital in Heidelberg on 22 October 2005. Ava was extremely sick and spent six months in the neonatal unit at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Melinda and Steve stayed at Ronald McDonald House for this period. Ava is now happy and healthy. Ava was lucky number 13 in the long journey on IVF. Steve believes in what
someone once said ‘Having children is not the best thing that has happened in my life, it is the onlything that has happened in my life’.

Steve’s time at University was often interrupted by lengthy hospital stays. Without his illness Steve would most likely now be a Vet or a Marine Biologist. As it turned out, through Steve’s effort the transplant family is the beneficiary of his positive and substantial contribution to the community.

WE SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH STEVE PEUSCHEL

* “The Paul Harris Fellow is an award which is given in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among people of theworld. It is without doubt the pinnacle of Rotary's awards and is only ever awarded to very specialpeople who make substantial contributions.” (Quotation taken from Rotary International).

** Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation (www.zaidee.org).

Kim and Allan Turner founded Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation in 2005 following the sudden death of their only daughter, Zaidee Rose Alexander Turner, from a burst blood vessel in her brain (Cerebral Aneurism) on 2 December 2004 – aged 7 years and 22 days

The Turner family had been registered organ and tissue donors since the start of 2000, and Zaidee donated her organs and tissues at the Royal Children’s Hospital after her death in accordance with her wishes. Zaidee was the only child in Victoria under the age of 16 years to donate her organs and tissues in 2004. Zaidee's Story is directed towards both children and adults so they can think about others who are waiting for a life saving operation and a suitable match for an organ or tissue.

Through Zaidee’s story they aim to inspire and encourage people to think about and discuss organ and tissue donation with family members. Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation is committed to improving and saving the lives of those Australians currently on transplant waiting lists. In the four and a half years since Zaidee’s death, Allan has taken Zaidee’s story and conveyed its message to hundreds of thousands of people across Australia

1st. October, 2009

 

top