To meet PA Hospital’s Gary Torrens is to understand his influence in kidney care, particularly with patients from off-country.
After starting his nursing career in the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) graduate program, he now works as a clinical nurse consultant within the Queensland Kidney Transplant Service at the PAH.
Gary, a proud Wehlubal man from the Bundjalung Nation in northern New South Wales, is passionate about increasing access to transplants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, ensuring equity and support throughout the process.
“People need to start dialysis when they get to be around stage four and five kidney disease. We need to think about what options are available to them so they can live a longer life and have a good quality of life,” he said.
“I meet with those patients and have a bit of a yarn with them and give them information, and education, so they can make an informed decision to see if transplantation is right for them.”
Gary supports patients every step of the way, from getting on the waitlist to recovery post-surgery. He believes in peer support, encouraging transplant recipients to share their experiences and guide others.
“I keep in contact with a lot of patients because they can help support other patients who need a kidney transplant by sharing their experiences.”
Gary explains how important regular kidney health checks are, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He urges everyone to get their blood pressure, blood tests, and urine tests done annually to monitor kidney health.
You can hear for yourself on Queensland Health’s Podcast: It Can’t Hurt To Ask where Gary provides expert commentary on the Organ Donation episode. He will also pop up in the upcoming episodes of the NITV docu-series ‘Our Medicine’ later in the year managing the journey to transplant for an Aboriginal man from Cairns.
Thank you, Gary, for your hard work and dedication to support those living with kidney disease.