A lasting legacy - Trevor Parker
Trevor Parker was a much loved and valued member of his community. Trevor sadly passed away after sustaining burns to almost 70 per cent of his body when fuel ignited as he refilled a generator on his property in Chiltern. In an effort to bring about some good in the aftermath of the accident, Trevor’s family, including his wife Bernadette, have become great supporters of The Alfred. They have also become strong advocates; helping to promote safety messages throughout the region and raise awareness of the potential for burns injuries which could be sustained in their unique working environment and home life.
Access to good community supports and treatments are vital for successful outcomes in a burn injury where recovery can be a long journey. The Parker family’s generosity has enabled the development of a new on-line educational resource that supports regional clinicians to continue with ongoing treatment and care of people with burn injuries, who have been discharged from the Victorian Adult Burns Service at The Alfred.
The Victorian Adult Burns Service is the statewide provider of burns care for all Victorian adults with complex major burn injuries, as well as many people with less severe burns. Each year they admit over 300 burns patients, review over 1,000 outpatients and provide access to clinical follow up for a number of regional patients. More than a third of people treated at the Burns Service live outside metropolitan Melbourne. To support their recovery from injury, the treating team at The Alfred frequently refer them back to clinicians in their local community for ongoing monitoring and care following discharge, allowing people to return home to their loved ones while still accessing the expertise of the state’s burns service.
Three years on from their tragedy, Trevor’s family continue to make a difference to the future of care at The Alfred. His brother Ken and niece Katherine ran the Wangaratta Marathon, proudly donning their Team Alfred tops and raising money to support the hospital that cared for Trevor, helping to set new and better standards for tomorrow, while continuing to offer the best treatment and care, we are so grateful!
