Working with Aboriginal mothers and babies makes me feel proud to be part of an important journey of righting some wrongs and closing the gap of disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. The rewards of watching children grow up happy and healthy are worth all the hard work 10 times over.
Deborah Nicholas
Awarded NSW Midwife of the Year, Deborah works within the Aborignal community, caring for babies from pregnancy through their first eight years of life. Because of the complex social and economic disadvantages effecting Aboriginal families, Deborah finds it essential to work in a holistic manner - often going beyond the usual scope of midwifery practice. She supports women through motivational counselling, advocates for and provides referral for community assistance with housing, domestic violence, drug and alcohol counseling, and community support services. She believes a loving relationship between a mother and her child has beneficial impacts on the family and community for generations, and a positive and loving infancy establishes an individual’s resilience and general wellbeing from infancy to adulthood.
Photographer: Diane Macdonald
Location: Forster, NSW