MEMBER for Mildura Ali Cupper’s battle to have Mildura Base Hospital returned to public management had a personal drive at its centre.
Over her eight months in office, Ms Cupper has lobbied the Victorian Government to listen to the voices of concern in the community over Ramsay Health Care’s management of the hospital.
But it was not just about politics for Ms Cupper.
Her cousin Ilona Legin was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 28 years old while fulfilling a lifelong dream in Europe, forcing her to return to Mildura for treatment.
“Ilona was happy being a winemaker, travelling and living her dreams, until she noticed one side of her abdomen was higher on one side than the other,” Ms Cupper said.
“The doctor told her it was cancer and that it was bad. She let her parents know via Skype and came back to commence treatment immediately.
“She would say the likelihood of her beating it or having her life extended was compromised by an under-resourced Mildura Base Hospital.”
Ms Legin was a strong supporter of advocacy group Reclaim the Base and fought to have her voice heard by government.
“She was a classic example of someone who wasn’t political in the first instance, but was so activated by the issue,” Ms Cupper said.
“She was incredible and so very brave in her fight with cancer and in copping all sorts of hits from her efforts to rally for change to the hospital.”
During Ms Legin’s cancer battle, she kept a journal that Ms Cupper now treasures.
“The last entry talked about the surgery that was booked. What they were going to attempt to do was shrink the tumour down as much as possible,” Ms Cupper said.
“She was talking with hope and optimism in her entry, so what came next was truly heartbreaking.”
Ms Cupper claimed her cousin had been receiving the wrong dosage of chemotherapy in the lead-up to the booked surgery.
“Ilona loved the staff and it wasn’t their fault, but due to lack of resourcing in a critical six-month window, they had her on the weakest chemo rather than the strongest,” she said.
“That’s when they said to her that they were very sorry and there had been a mistake. They had to cancel the surgery.”
Ms Cupper said the hospital fight was always about prioritising safety first.
“So I’m proud we’ve been able to stare down the opposition, stick to (our) guns as a community and we’ve won,” she said.
“This was never about ideology, it was about safety and now people will be safer as a result of this.
“That brings me a great sense of relief because we’ve been dicing with danger for 20 years.”
She applauded advocates such as Stephen Parr for stepping up and fighting with consistency and courage.
“There’s a way business was done in Mildura in terms of politics and that was only five to 10 years ago,” she said.
“That way of business was if someone stands up with a different point of view, we’re not going to critique that point of view, we’re going to go after their livelihood and shut them up.
“Steve and I have both experienced that.”
Ms Cupper said her faith in democracy had been restored.
“What we have now is not just a plan for safety to be restored, but our faith in democracy has also been restored,” she said.
“I wasn’t going to be able to relax until I had that press release in my hand and I heard the Premier say the contract was not going to be renewed.”
