Newsroom

Have you ever heard of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD)?

It is referred to as a ‘molar pregnancy’ - is a rare pregnancy condition that affects 1 in 1000 pregnancies and early detection can make all the difference.

GTD develops when the placenta grows abnormally and the baby either does not develop at all or develops abnormally and cannot survive. If it is not treated in due time, it can behave like a cancer and requires chemotherapy.

GTD Clinical Nurse Consultant Shona is part of the team at the Queensland Trophoblast Centre (QTC) that supports the management, monitoring, and treatment of the condition.

"Medical, nursing, pathology and other important stakeholders set up the QTC service in 2012. QTC cares for ladies across Queensland, Northern New South Wales and Tasmania and I have been here ever since the inception of this service,” Shona said.

"The women affected by GTD have all the symptoms of pregnancy and then find out they have a condition that they have not heard of previously. However, GTD itself is very curable, a 99% cure rate even though it is such a niche disease.

"We get a lot of positive patient and clinician feedback as we follow women after their GTD journey is completed - I get lots of photos of new babies down the track."🫶 ...

NASA astronauts may have just travelled to the far side of the moon, but right here at Herston, we are looking for a STAR! ⭐👩‍⚕️

STARS are looking for Registered Nurses like Yasmine to join their "STARS community" and make a difference in the lives of patients on their rehabilitation journeys.

"My first RN job was in the covid clinics before I got the role at STARS in 2021, and I have been here ever since," Yasmine said.

"We get a mix of different patients here, a lot of them are waiting for discharge into long term accommodation, it feels nice to know we can get to know them and have supported them on their journey."

Don`t let this opportunity get out of your orbit, click the link in our bio to find out more. 🪐 ...

Senior Psychologist Melanie wears many hats, as the face behind support for paediatric patients at Caboolture as well as working with adults too! 👒

Whilst she is highly specialised in the paediatric space, Melanie also works within women`s health and inpatient areas conducting patient assessments and interventions, writing reports that support Paediatricians to decide on a diagnosis and working with patients who have complex trauma or mental health conditions.

"Each of these roles are very different, the key for me is in assisting someone to obtain their best possible life as the unique person they are," she said.

"My favourite part of having multiple roles is that it provides diversity, giving me the opportunity and space to grow.

"One of the common misconceptions I find with psychology is that people expect the psychologist to make the changes. Ultimately it is the person who creates that change, the psychologist simply provides the path." ❤️ ...

"I was born in South Sudan, into the Collo tribe. We got married in 1986 and had 6 children. I was a teacher in Arabic in primary and was promoted to secondary. We moved to Australia in 2003 where I am now a leader of the Sudanese Community Church. We always go on holiday everywhere together, never separate, we go back to Africa every few years. When we met, we always wanted to match to be one spirit."

💭 Monday Mantra, Pasquale, rehab patient at STARS with wife Jiben who are always in matching outfits. ...