At our recent Connections 2017 conference, AusDoCC made a very special presentation to a most significant person, who has had the strongest belief in us. She has helped us climb mountains, overcome obstacles that we thought were too hard and supported us from the beginning. She restored our faith in ourselves and once we realised that it wasn’t a smooth ride we rolled up our sleeves and got stuck into it. We planted a seed, watered it well and grew it into a sapling. It continues to thrive.

We are humbled by this amazing person’s connection with us and her willingness to always respond to our requests no matter how trivial they probably seem. We hold her in the highest regard, offer our utmost respect and adore the fact that one of the greatest brains in our country is so accessible to us and makes us feel so valued and worthy. We are where we are today because of your support, Linda Richards and we have the honour of selecting you to be our first patron of AusDoCC.

Our roots are strong and the sapling is ready to grow into a tree. Like a tree we add another ring to our trunk each year and our branches are ready to spread. We thank you for being our patron and as the wording says and we affectionately refer to you behind closed doors, our Fairy Godmother. Thank you for the magic you bring to so many lives.

Maree Maxfield