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Ruth Lilian
Co-ordinator
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Ruth Lilian, OAM has been a member of the BJD Australia Committee since the early days of the Decade. In her role as a conference and event manager, Ruth has managed all conferences and events relating to the BJD for Australia.
In 2007 she managed the BJD Patient Advocacy and International Network Conference that was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Many of the International Steering Committee and attending delegates expressed that it was one of the best BJD Conferences they had attended. The response from the Federal Government to support the Conference was very much
appreciated.
Ruth has chaired the Marketing Committee for BJD Australia over the years and has most recently been involved in putting together a DVD for children, to highlight the importance of calcium in their diet, good exercise and general healthy eating and living. It is hoped to promote this DVD commercially Australia-wide.
In 2008, Ruth took over the co-ordination for Australia from stalwart Ben
Horgan.
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Ben Horgan
Australian Ambassador to the BJD
Patient Representative and Past Co-ordinator |
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Ben Horgan was diagnosed with Juvenile
Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1973 at the age of 2. The disease
quickly consumed every joint in his body changing his
and his families’ lives forever. Not expected
to live past the age of 10, Ben’s story is one
of determination and courage.
He has not only enabled himself to survive but he
has also helped hundreds of families to live with
Juvenile Arthritis. He was instrumental in starting
camps for kids with the disease and has travelled
the world inspiring people to make the most out of
any situation.
Ben is currently working for the Arthritis Foundation
of WA. He was the world’s first patient representative
to be inducted as an Ambassador to the International
Bone and Joint Decade 2000 – 2010. Recently
Ben was appointed Chair of the Bone and Joint Decade
Australia National Action Network.
Ben has travelled the globe advocating for people
with arthritis, and other chronic conditions, to play
a much greater role in the treatment of their disease
and to spread the message that arthritis is not just
‘a fact of life’.
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Professor
Peter Brooks
International Steering Committee Representative |
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Peter Brooks is the Executive
Dean of Health Sciences at The University of Queensland.
He held the position of Florance and COPE Chair of
Rheumatology at the University of Sydney from 1982
to 1991, was the inaugural Chair of the BJD Australia
NAN from 2001 to 2005 and is a member of the International
Steering Committee of the Bone and Joint Decade.
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Other National Action Network Committee Members
Dr Margaret Smith - Matrix Biology Society of Australia and New Zealand,
Associate Professor John Hart - Australian Orthopaedic Association,
Professor Geoff McColl - Australian Rheumatology Association
Ms Krystina Brown - Chiropractors Association of Australia
Ms Rosanna Martinello - Osteoporosis Australia
Mr Gary Moorehead - Sports Medicine Australia
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