My name is Dominique Moran. I have Turner’s Syndrome, Blount’s disease and Hashimoto’s. I wanted to share my story and tell you why keeping GP’s at headspace is so important.  

I have been going to headspace, seeing Dr Amanda, the GP at headspace Maroochydore, for over 7 years now and it is no small thing to say, she has changed and saved my life.  

My whole life I was experiencing chronic pain, and a copious amount of difficulty with no answers or help in sight. I originally first went to headspace for help with my mental health trying to handle all that, and in doing so, I met Dr Amanda.  

Our very first appointment, she got me to do a blood test as she thought I was anaemic, and she turned out to be right. That was only the very first appointment. Through headspace, through Dr Amanda, I now have answers, help and hope. Last year I went through 3 major surgeries, spending over a year in bed in recovery. In the meantime, I also got diagnosed with endometrial cancer. I survived that extra horrible ordeal, because of Dr Amanda. Without her, without the access to a GP that headspace gives me, who knows what would have happened.  

I am now cancer free, and that is because of her. I cannot tell you the ways she has helped and advocated for me. From believing my pain, to contacting specialists, helping me receive the help I need, making me feel comfortable enough to tell her personal things that in turn, help her help me. Sometimes just the conversation was enough. There have been many weeks when, besides my mum and brother, she was the only person I spoke to.  

Until you have been through the experience of being chronically ill and not being believed, not know what’s wrong with you, not having appropriate care, you don’t know just how absolutely isolating it is.  

This is my long way of saying Dr Amanda has saved my life, she’s changed my life. In many, many ways. My quality of life is better because of her.  

Now imagine my story without her. There wouldn’t be one. I don’t even want to think about what it would be like. GP’s at headspace is so, so, SO extremely important, and I’m just one person, one story. Imagine how many people won’t find their Dr Amanda without the access to a GP at headspace.  

Thank you for listening 🙂  

– Dominique Moran