Originally a country boy from Scone, A/Prof David Croaker has been involved with paediatric surgery since 1985. He went to high school and university in Sydney, and started specialty training in the field in 1988 (also in Sydney).  He completed a Ph.D. in the genetics and physiology of Hirschsprung's disease in 2001. By that time he was in full time consultant practice in the NHS, having moved to Britain at the end of 1998.

In 2003 he returned to Australia to take up his current post as a consultant specialist paediatric surgeon at the Canberra hospital and the Australian National University. He has since also taken up a conjoint appointment at the University of NSW. His practice encompasses all areas of paediatric surgery, with a particular interest in gastroenterology, and a research interest in both Hirschsprung's disease and constipation.
He has been involved with third world surgical practice beginning with a student elective in Nepal in 1977; visits to the United Mission Hospital, Tansen in Nepal since 1987; to Al Awda Hospital in Gaza since 2006; to the National Referral Hospital in Honiara since 2015; and to several other places (from Zambia to Ulaan Bataar) on a one off basis.
At other times he enjoys (and desperately wishes to preserve) the natural environment through a variety of outdoor activities from (inter alia) gardening, skiing, cycling and walking to flying sailplanes.

Photo: A/Prof David Croaker with District 9710 ROMAC Chair, Sandra Goldstraw in Canberra, December 2019.

The role of Chairman of ROMAC is a demanding, time consuming and often arduous one, involving overseeing the entire organisation, managing volunteers, and ensuring that everything runs smoothly, and ultimately ensuring the ROMAC patients and their carers receive the best possible treatment whilst they are in Australia or New Zealand.    And it's a three year commitment. 

Rob Wilkinson's involvement with ROMAC spanned many years and culminated in his role as Chairman from 2016 until the AGM held in Christchurch in September 2019, when he handed the baton to incoming Chairman, Harold Sharp. 

In appreciation of Rob's long and significant contribution to ROMAC, especially during his term as Chairman, and on behalf of the ROMAC Board, Harold presented him with a desk clock during a lunch at Mooney Mooney on the NSW Central Coast held just prior to Christmas. 

Thanks, Rob for all you have done for ROMAC over the years!  Enjoy your retirement! 

Communication Team

Members Recognised
               

ROMAC would not exist without the many volunteers who give freely of their expertise and time to enable the organisation to function effectively. 

There are no paid staff on the ROMAC 'staff' register and everyone involved in running the organisation - from the Board, the support team, the doctors and hospital staff who identify and treat the patients, to the Rotarians who arrange transportation and hosting of the children and their carers during and following their surgery do so without remuneration - many incurring significants personal costs in the process.




The change of Chairman from Rob Wilkinson to Harold Sharp, which took place in September, created an ideal opportunity for ROMAC to acknowledge the significant contribution to the Organisation by a couple of Volunteers who have carried out duties in the Communications portfolio - including developing and distributing regular newsletters to supporters, managing the website and social media posts, and preparing the Annual Report.  Ann Burleigh and Maggie Alexander, who served under Rob for a number of years, were thanked by Rob and presented with a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the Board. Maggie is continuing to manage the ROMAC website. Thanks, Maggie! 




Photos: Top Rob with Ann Burleigh, and below Rob with Maggie Alexander

ROMAC is extremely grateful to Maggie, Ann and Rob for their significant contribution.  Thank You!

Mario DeJesus will be a keynote speaker at the District 9550 / 9570 Conference in March this year. Mario, along with Fellow Rotarian, Judite Martins, of the Rotary Club of Dili, Timor-Leste, runs the small but vital program Rotarians Helping Timor.  A major component of their work is accepting sea containers full of goods from Australia for distribution to people in Timor-Leste. They have an agreement with a business in Dili, which allows them to hire a truck, forklift and drivers at a discounted price to remove the containers from the wharf and unload and store them at their premises, free of charge. This huge effort is managed within three days of the container landing at the wharf, in order to save a large daily holding fee. Mario and Judite then distribute donated goods to the many people, groups, schools and others in need throughout Timor-Leste.  The Rotary Club of Melbourne, Vic, helps to cover administration and removal costs to support Mario and Judite’s efforts.

Mario has taken on the role of managing the ROMAC program in Timor. He liaises with families of children and medical officers and coordinates the paperwork, including passports, customs declarations, airfares and transport to ensure the children arrive at their allocated destination. So far, Mario had organised for 20 children to travel to Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand under the ROMAC umbrella.


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