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My where has a year gone? Last week was my one year anniversary working for Palliative Care NSW. You might not think it for a highly energised 26 year-old male to be working for an organisation like this in the health industry, but this is truly one of the greatest roles I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing. My role is Communications Manager and I look after the majority of digital based interactivity, marketing, and rapidly developing, fundraising.

My job is to connect the broader world (well beyond the state) to what Palliative Care is, what we do, and how others (third parties) can help. I do this mainly via social media platforms which I have an enormous passion in.

How did someone like myself become very active in this role? Well, I have decades of experience on the consumer side of healthcare. I was born with Cystic Fibrosis which in a nut shell affects lungs, digestion and life. Hours of treatment (air way clearance and nebulizers) daily, 20-40 pills, the list goes on (jump on Google if you’re interested).

Knowing mutual colleagues through CF and PC, I landed in this very unique and influential position. Many may not know this but there is a decent size link between Cystic Fibrosis and Palliative Care. It wasn’t till I was in this role for around a month or so that I truly discovered both the connection and the opportunity I have for both health areas.

Having been in this role now for some time I have learned so much about the public and private health sectors, as well as how Palliative Care affects so many in such different ways.

There is (frustratingly) a negative stigma about Palliative Care in the broader community as it does usually revolve around end of life care and death.

Very few want to talk on the subject particularly with their loved ones because frankly, who wants to talk about dying? I can tell you first hand that from losing many close friends to Cystic Fibrosis it’s both the hardest, and last thing you ever want to have to go through. But death is a part of life and the better equipped we are to handle it, the smoother and more manageable the experience can be.

I feel very privileged to be in this role because I know I am and can make such a profound difference to those lives and people who need and are looking for it. It’s far more than just a job. It’s a career. It’s a way of life and I’m just scratching the surface.

Feel free to contact me any time with any queries or questions.

Cody Sheehan, PCNSW

Pic: Cody, seen here swanning it up with Dawn Fraser