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QLD CHAMPION

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Liz Hile (she/her)

LIVED EXPERIENCE
Disability, Mental Health and Transplant

KEY INFORMATION

Place of Birth: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Current location: Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Age: 27 years old
Language/s: English only
LGBTQIA+: No
NDIS Participant: No
Diagnoses: Biliary Atresia, Portal Hypertension, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Reflux, Anxiety, Immunocompromised. Half-cut Liver transplant as an infant. 
Healthcare Access: Primary Health Care, Allied Health, Mental Health, Secondary and Tertiary care.

BIO

Ever since Liz Hile could speak, she has been advocating for the importance of organ donation. Born with biliary atresia (missing bile ducts in the liver), Liz needed a cut down liver transplant within her first year of life. As one of the first recipients of a cut down liver, she has paved the way for this to become more widely practiced, and has used her lived experience to encourage organ donation and participate in research to improve health outcomes for other donation recipients. Despite having a life-saving transplant, Liz continued to have ongoing challenges with her health - with internal bleeding on-and-off throughout primary school and high school as a result of vascular complications post-transplant. With multiple surgeries, immunocompromised and additional diagnoses - Liz identifies as having a dynamic disability as she regularly has to manage the complexities of the impact of her medical conditions on her daily life. As a result of her transplantation and increase in varices in her abdomen Liz is unable to carry a baby herself which has given her insights into fertility, IVF and surrogacy. Liz is incredibly passionate about creating positive change in people's lives and in systems through her lived experience - in whatever capacity and endeavours that may be in. 
 

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Speaker and Volunteer for Donate Life over many years - including at fundraisers and memorial days

  • Keynote speaker for a range of events

  • Research participant in Transplantation research

  • Media appearances including print and television

  • Community outreach and engagement through social media

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