VALE SALLY CROSSING AM
BTAA is sad to acknowledge the loss of a fierce advocate for cancer consumers with the passing of Sally Crossing AM (1946-2016) on 28 December 2016. Sally's family, friends and colleagues will celebrate her life at the University of Sydney on 4 February 2017.
Sally was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 1995 at the age of 49.
Sally will be remembered as a respected, fierce advocate and pioneer for consumer cancer advocacy at both state and national levels for the past 23 years.
Sally’s considerable advocacy efforts were recognised in her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2005, and with an honorary doctorate in Health Sciences from the University of Sydney in 2014.
Sally established and led Cancer Voices NSW, convened Cancer Voices Australia and then the Australian Cancer Consumer Network and was friend and mentor to Cancer Voices SA (2007) and Cancer Voices ACT. Her contributions to research, policy and clinical practice in consumer involvement, as well as raising awareness of issues and improving the path for all people affected by cancer has been inspirational.
Sally raised our collective voice across the various cancer groups and made a real difference.
Sally’s dedication to making positive changes for people affected by cancer drove her to establish the Cancer Voices movement in Australia, and the Australian Cancer Consumer Network in 2014. Sally held roles on the Board of the Cancer Council NSW; the Consumers’ Health Forum of Australia; the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care; and the Faculty of Radiation Oncology Council.
BTAA extends our thanks to Sally Crossing and commits to her vision of growing our collective voice.
Our condolences to Sally’s family and her colleagues at Cancer Voices.
Susan Pitt and Denis Strangman AM
On behalf of BTAA
Image: Catherine Hindson, Sally Crossing AM and Matthew Pitt, Parliament House, Canberra, 2014
