The Pulse: Uncovering health stories with clinical experts

Sarah Johnson-Clarke is a Clinical Midwife Consultant in Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) with the Substance Use in Pregnancy and Parenting Services (SUPPS).

Her exceptional dedication to providing compassionate and empowering care to vulnerable women, particularly those with substance use issues, makes her an outstanding midwife.

Sarah has a remarkable ability to connect with women who have experienced trauma, domestic violence, and substance misuse, immersing herself in their world to understand their unique needs and challenges.

Despite the complexities of their situations, Sarah treats each woman with empathy, respect, and dignity, empowering...

Billy ‘The Kid’ Dib is known by most as an icon of Australian boxing as WBO Lightweight Oriental champion & IBF Lightweight international champion with two world boxing championships under his belt…but Billy has been facing a completely new opponent following a cancer diagnosis in 2022. He underwent surgery to remove a tumour in his stomach in October and has subsequently been treated for an aggressive and rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma cancer. With his supportive family by his side, including his wife Berry and five-year old son Laith, Billy has remained upbeat and optimistic about his recovery.

He joi...

In this powerful episode, we are joined by Dipti Zachariah from Western Sydney Local Health District’s Multicultural Health Services and Nat, a member of her team. 

Dipti and Nat provide extensive support to help culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women and survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) find their voice.

With International Women’s Day and Harmony Day fast approaching, the pair took this opportunity to share their very personal journeys to empowerment, in the hope of providing comfort and inspiration to others in similar situations.

Please note, this episode discusses sensitive issue...

With the COVID-19 lockdown extended through August, many causes of stress and anxiety in our lives right now are beyond our control.

But there is a tool within your control that anyone can harness: mindfulness meditation.

David Johnson introduced the practice to Western Sydney Local Health District staff last year to help manage the additional stress of COVID-19, and he continues his twice-daily sessions for staff online.

In this episode David introduces the concept and takes us through a 15-minute mindfulness meditation session.

WSLHD provides many initiatives to support staff wellbeing...

Mitch first experienced anxiety and depression as a high school student, and in the years that followed he struggled with suicidal thoughts and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He is now a lived experience peer worker with the Towards Zero Suicides team at Western Sydney Local Health District, meaning he uses his own experience to help others experiencing a suicidal crisis – as he explains on the latest episode of the Western Sydney Health Check podcast.

The program also features an interview with WSLHD Mental Health Services executive director Professor Vlasios Brakoulias, discussing the mental health impact of lo...

We're mad about sport in western Sydney but it still might come as a surprise that there are some extremely talented athletes who work for Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD).

Alvina Ng always loved the Ninja Warrior franchise but never imagined she would take on the famed obstacle course known as Mt Midoriyama.

The Auburn Hospital emergency doctor is now the face of the fifth Australian season, featuring on billboards around the country – all because one of the producers noticed her intense upper body workouts on Instagram.

Another one of our health he...

Emma Watkins is best known as the girl with the bow in hair. The singing, dancing, drumming, Yellow Wiggle delights audiences across the globe with her dazzling warmth and energy.

But what people didn’t realise was behind the scenes, Emma was in serious pain for a long time – silently suffering from a debilitating condition known as endometriosis.

Endometriosis, commonly referred to as “endo”, is a common disease in which the tissue that is similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it in other parts of the body.

More than 830,000 Australian women –...

Julia can remember looking down at her broken arm, the bone through the skin, as the propeller of the helicopter that carried her to Westmead Hospital for lifesaving surgery whirred to life.

She was riding her motorcycle on Valentine’s Day when she had a head-on collision with a four-wheel-drive, destroying her bike and nearly claiming her life.

Julia was the first patient transferred to the new trauma ward in Westmead Hospital’s Central Acute Services Building, a dedicated unit focused on caring for patients with multiple life-threatening injuries. 

“So many people have done so...

From training with the Cronulla Sharks to lying in a hospital bed, Fine Kula’s heroic battle with brain cancer captured hearts across western Sydney, the Shire, and Australia last year.

The rising NRL star was diagnosed with medulloblastoma at the start of 2020, and underwent treatment at Westmead Hospital.

Fine and his oncologist Dr Vivek Bhadri join us on the latest episode of Western Sydney Health Check to share how the 21 year old beat the aggressive medulloblastoma tumour thanks to the expert care and the support of his family, girlfriend, team mates and former school.

One in four young people in Australia will suffer from some kind of mental health issue. But how do you bring up the topic with them?

It’s a question many parents agonise over, and one that we tackle in our latest podcast episode of Western Sydney Health Check for NSW Youth Week.

Carlie Dodds, clinical psychologist with our Prevention Early Intervention and Response Service, brings expert insight from her role working with young people experiencing severe mental health issues.

“Parents often understandably talk about wanting to protect their children, and don’t realis...