Whenever patients or staff talk about “Nonie who used to be in Mater Children’s Private but is now in Mater Mother’s birth suites”, there is usually a delighted “we love Nonie!” response.
Nonie began working at Mater in Food Services in 2000, before working exclusively for Mater Children’s Private Food Service from 2002 until 2015, after which she was redeployed to Mater Mothers’ Birth Suites as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN).
Her early work could be simplified as just food delivery and order taking, yet her compassion and work ethic made her one of the most recognised and cherished employees by staff and families alike.
“The reason I stayed in the Children’s for so long was the children themselves. When you look at them, you put yourself in their parent’s position - that’s their whole world in that bed!” Nonie said.
“It can be tonsils or it can be cancer but to that parent it’s just as big. It was an honour to care for them however I could.
Despite changing jobs and locations on campus, Nonie still sees families who recognise her. One family even contacted Nonie via Mater to let her know their little girl passed away.
“It brings tears to my eyes - I remember so many times she came close to not being with us but then she’d fight back. It just changes your whole life, your whole perspective on life, seeing these children,” she said.
“When I see the kid’s faces, so many kids over the years – it puts the parents at ease if you can do a simple thing like giving them a packet of chips! It seems like such a little thing but to those children in the bed it’s a huge thing! Just that simple act and they feel special.
“I miss the kids and the paediatric nurses, I saw some nurses this morning, they all gave me a big hug. It’s the people, that’s what this whole place is.
When Mater Children’s Hospital transitioned to Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, Nonie moved to an AIN position in Mater Mothers’ Hospitals Birth Suites.
“I just love being in birth suites―the midwives are amazing,” she said.
Nonie’s positive attitude is evident within minutes of meeting her.
“Life’s too short,” she simply states.
“Working in a hospital, you see it. Life, death―being part of that journey changes you. You don’t know if you’re going to be here tomorrow.
“Now working in birth suites, seeing new life is just beautiful. I spent the first two months in the store room crying, because you hear the mothers cry, and I think ‘I remember that’, then you hear the baby cry and I just lose it! I have to walk down the corridor and take a moment.
“Once I was working a nightshift, standing outside a room and saw a father holding his baby for the first time and I just cried. The beautiful midwife saw me crying and took me in the room and asked the father if I could have a cuddle with his baby―and he happily handed over his brand new baby to me! Where can you go to work and hear a first cry of life every day? It’s just so beautiful,” she said.
“I get so emotional about it all. Why would you go anywhere else to have your baby except the Mater?” Nonie said.
Mater was part of Nonie’s life even before she began working here.
“I was born at Mater, my son was born at Mater, and my grandchildren were born at Mater,” she said.
“The people you work with make you want to come to work every day and we all have a role to play.
“We all have clashes but at the end of the day, we see each other more than we see our own families so in a way we are family. The person we marry, our children, we only see them for a short number of hours but we’re here with everyone eight or sometimes 12 hours a day. That’s a lot, so you have to respect each other and find that connection with whomever, in whichever way you can do it to make it work.
“Mater has everything and that’s why I’m always so proud to say I work at Mater,” Nonie said.
Nonie shrugs off any suggestion she should be singled out for recognition with a story as part of The Heart of Mater.
“We’re all special, we all have a purpose and everyone has good in them,” she says decisively.