 |
ASA Media Release - Rachel Ward
Media coverage received
| To All News Editors |
|
| Tuesday April 27th 1999 |
|
| Popular Australian actress Rachel Ward is familiar with receiving awards for her work in films and television, with an ATOM award for the Best Actress at the Tokyo Film Festival, and two Golden Globe Nominations being just a sample of her recent achievements. |
|
| But today Rachel will be presented with a special international media award. The Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) and the Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA), have pleasure in conferring SOAP's inaugural Media Award to Rachel. |
|
| In recognition of her contribution to public awareness regarding the benefits of epidural analgesia used for labour pain management.
|
|
|
|
| Using her own life experience, and following two difficult painful childbirths, Rachel put pen to paper and wrote frankly, without any frills about her third childbirth and the pain free experience. |
|
| The article entitled "Maternity Ward" was published in the American women's Magazine Mirabella. |
|
| The article has had a major impact on many women and has gone a long way to separate fact from fiction as regards epidural analgesia. In fact even after publication, anaesthetists throughout the United States and Australia still see women who bring photocopies of the article to hospital. |
|
| Rachel says the postscript to the entire story is:-The anaesthetic and epidural I was given ensured I had a great birth and it was ultimately the best birthing experience for me, I wouldn't consider any other way, she said. |
|
| The Media are invited to attend the special presentation to Rachel Ward, who will be accompanied by her husband fellow actor Bryan Brown, at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Avoca St Randwick. |
|
| Rachel will be presented with the inaugural media award by SOAP and ASA members Dr Stephen Gatt OAM and Dr Elizabeth Ward. |
|
| Rachel will be available to answer any questions about her experiences in childbirth, her life as an actress and more recently as a film director. |
|
| Following the presentation at 9.30 am in the Functions Room at the Edmund Blacket Building, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Corner of High and Avoca Streets, Randwick, light refreshments will be served. |
|
| For further information, please contact the Australian Society of Anaesthetists media person, Louise Bower on 0418 220958 (all hours); |
|
| Executive Director of ASA Mr John Coward 1800 80 66 54;
|
|
| The Prince of Wales Hospital, Dr Gatt's secretary Kay King, 02 93823692. |
|
|
|
Closing address by Dr Rod Westhorpe, President, ASA, to Rachel Ward, after receiving the inaugural Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Media Award |
|
Drs Rod Westhorpe & Stephen Gatt with Rachel Ward during the presentation at the
Prince of Wales Hospital.
|
Venue: The Prince of Wales Hospital Functions Room |
|
|
Date: 27th April 1999. 9.30 am. |
|
|
No doubt the most effective promotion of a product comes from a genuine consumer. Rachel you have certainly done that, and have been very effective in the last couple of years in promoting the idea that anaesthesia, in particular epidural anaesthesia, is not something to be feared. |
|
|
This is something we are very conscious of, the fear that exists in the community related to anaesthesia. We are very grateful for people like yourself with the profile that you have, in educating the public that anaesthesia is not just a very large needle followed by a very large bill. |
|
|
You have made people aware of the enormous benefits of one of the facets of anaesthesia, epidurals; how they can provide so much benefit during labour and delivery. |
|
|
But of course epidurals we use during many aspects of general surgery anaesthesia, in fact the epidurals that you saw during the video, we use regularly in tiny infants of two or three months of age. That is primarily for their post- operative pain management. |
|
|
So it is not just women in labour that have the benefit of epidurals. By promoting its' safety in Obstetric Anaesthesia, it is allowing us more easily to make it available to the benefit of other patients for management of pain after anaesthesia and for Chronic and Cancer pain patients. |
|
|
The Australian Society of Anaesthetists is very grateful for the opportunity that we have today to present this Award. |
|
|
Thank you to Stephen (Dr S Gatt, OAM), to the Prince of Wales Hospital and the executive staff of that hospital. |
|
|
Thank you also to the Society of Obstetric Anesthetists and Perinatologists, for bestowing this Award on Rachel and allowing us to do it here, at this excellent venue. |
|
|
I prefer to call it The Society, rather than SOAP, because for someone involved in the Film and Television Industry, a SOAP Award has other connotations. |
|
|
You are to be congratulated Rachel, for your achievements in the performing arts, and also of course now for your efforts in Public Education in Health. |
|
|
This is an important and notable Award. It is not an Oscar, but for Anaesthetists, Anaesthesia, and our patients, it comes very close. Thankyou." |
|
|
|
|
