{"id":12549,"date":"2025-09-13T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T23:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/tpch\/?p=12549"},"modified":"2025-09-14T14:14:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T04:14:51","slug":"aus-honours-reunite-dr-patient-after-20-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/tpch\/news\/aus-honours-reunite-dr-patient-after-20-years","title":{"rendered":"Australian honours help reunite doctor and patient after 20 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian honours help reunite doctor and patient after 20 years<\/h1>\n
\"Professor

Professor John Fraser and Lisa Cox<\/p><\/div>\n

The unexpected reunion of a world-renowned doctor and former patient after more than 20 years is helping drive an exciting new focus in sepsis research at The Prince Charles Hospital.<\/h4>\n

Lisa Cox OAM was 24 years old with an emerging career in advertising when she suffered a catastrophic stroke at Melbourne Airport. Her organs shut down, she was in a coma for weeks and amnesia has taken much of her memory from that time.<\/p>\n

She was medically airlifted from Melbourne and soon under the care of renowned specialist Professor John Fraser and the ICU team at The Prince Charles Hospital, where she stayed for 12 months.<\/p>\n

However, one of her biggest battles was contracting sepsis, a life-threatening inflammatory response\u00a0to an infection that can lead to a person\u2019s body damaging its own tissues and organs. Sepsis can be difficult to diagnose and treat.<\/p>\n

Lisa lost her left leg, all remaining toes on her right foot, nine fingertips and had many other complications due to sepsis and had to re-learn basic skills during several years of rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI taught myself how to type again on mum and dad\u2019s kitchen table and got back in to freelance advertising, writing and media,\u201d Lisa said.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s now a professional writer having written two books and several articles published nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Lisa was awarded an OAM for service to people with a disability. The same year, Professor John Fraser received an AO for distinguished service to medicine and global research.<\/p>\n

Lisa recognised John\u2019s name in the honours list and reached out to her former doctor, who are now great friends and catch-up regularly. In his lilting Scottish brogue, Professor Fraser speaks happily about being reunited with Lisa.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great that Lisa got back in touch. When we see people who are really sick, we frequently don\u2019t hear what happens next,\u201d Prof Fraser said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany times we thought she wasn\u2019t going to make it, so it\u2019s wonderful for our team to see how their hard work has assisted in \u00a0her recovery and how successful she\u2019s been.<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa being awarded the OAM is phenomenal – to be an advocate for people, for patients, it can be just as important in the equation as doctors and scientists.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prof Fraser said a key area of focus for the Clinical Care Research Group (CCRG) based at TPCH was on improving survival rates for patients who contract sepsis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith researcher Dr Nchafatso Obonyo we\u2019re looking at how we minimise sepsis causing problems to the kidneys, to the limbs and everywhere else,\u201d Prof Fraser said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLisa has lived experience and can explain how bad sepsis can be, and how it can present in a million different ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do the science, but we need to get the story out there, too. And Lisa is the embodiment of the importance of great treatment informed by great research.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Lisa was in hospital with the same diagnosis 10 years before, she would have died.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to come together \u2013 patients with lived experience, clinicians, researchers \u2013 that\u2019s what success is.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach day do a little bit better, then a little bit better, so one day people who get sepsis won\u2019t lose their fingers, won\u2019t lose their toes.”<\/p>\n

Lisa is happy to contribute her lived experience to grow sepsis research at CCRG.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat John and his team does changes lives like mine – they are brilliant,\u201d Lisa said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can complement each other and learn together.\u201d<\/p>\n

World Sepsis Day is held every year on September 13 for people across the world to unite in addressing the impact of sepsis.<\/p>\n

It is known as the \u2018silent killer\u2019 as its symptoms often mimic that of other, less serious illnesses such as a cold or gastroenteritis. It\u2019s considered a medical emergency, like a heart attack.<\/p>\n

Raising awareness of the signs and symptoms is key to ensuring people recognise it early and seek urgent medical attention. Signs an adult may have sepsis include:<\/p>\n