Anja Christoffersen
Nurse Navigators are vital members of the RBWH team, helping patients with complex health conditions coordinate their healthcare and providing extra support where they need it.
RBWH patient Anja Christoffersen is just one of the many patients who can attest to the incredible work of our Nurse Navigators.
Anja was born with VACTERL Association, an acronym that describes a cluster of birth defects affecting multiple body systems. The disease affects just 1 in 10,000 to 40,000 newborns and there is no known cause or guarantee of survival. While VACTERL Association can differ from person-to-person, Anja was born with a number of complexities including a hole in the heart, one kidney, oesophageal atresia whereby there is no join to the stomach, causing food, water and saliva to go directly into her lungs, a half-formed vertebra, a complex anorectal malformation causing only one pelvic opening, and duplicated reproductive organs.
Diagnosed at 28 weeks of her mother’s pregnancy, Anja received the first of many surgical interventions at just five hours old and has had 35 surgeries since then. Since she became an adult patient at RBWH, numerous teams across various areas are involved in her care when she visits the hospital up to three times a week.
“Due to the complexity of my condition and the diverse symptoms I experience, I need to see a range of different specialists regularly,” Anja said.
“I can’t thank the doctors, nurses and other staff involved in my care enough – they all incredible. However, it can be overwhelming trying to manage all of my different appointments and the preparation and recovery that goes with them. That’s where my Nurse Navigator Rebecca Johnson comes in.
“I started working with her in 2020 and it has changed my life. She essentially project manages my health.”
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Nurse Navigator Rebecca Johnson said that for busy and ambitious people like Anja, they don’t have time to be managing countless appointments and visiting their GP multiple times a month.
“Anja’s health condition affects her every single day. For people with such complex health needs, having a single point of contact to link everything up is vital.
“Medical appointments can sometimes be stressful and emotional, so I sit in with Anja to act as a second pair of ears and support her where she needs.
“I am also available at any time to answer questions and assist if something goes wrong, In general, I help keep everything tracking along in the right direction which keeps the pressure off Anja so she can focus on living her life.”
Anja is currently perusing many roles and was awarded the Queensland Young Achiever of the Year Leadership Award for 2020. She works as a motivational speaker, model, manages her family business in international student recruitment, and has recently commenced using her experience as a long-term patient to help improve consumer experiences at RBWH.
“I think it’s important not to let your circumstances define you. That’s probably my main message to anyone living with disability,” said Anja.