Speeches
Saturday, 20 September 2025
Cystic Fibrosis Remembrance Ceremony
As joint patron, with my husband, Rod, of Cystic Fibrosis SA, I warmly welcome you again to Government House for this special remembrance ceremony.
We are honoured to share in this occasion with you each year as we remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones who cystic fibrosis has taken away: family members, friends, colleagues, patients.
We hope these beautiful gardens offer you a sense of solace and peace today. Even in the heart of the city, with life going on around us, the gardens provide a place for solitude and stillness.
I hope each of you finds that stillness today – a moment to pause and reflect.
Today is a special day to remember lost loved ones. It’s an important opportunity to celebrate their lives and memories.
I know you also carry them with you every day: when you hear a song they liked, cook their favourite meal, visit a place where they spent time, or share stories about them.
In that way, they never leave us.
Today we celebrate how they lived; being brave and resilient – and even finding something to laugh at – when times were hardest.
We reflect on who they were – not people defined by disease but people defying disease … who squeezed every bit out of life while navigating symptoms, treatments and hospitals.
Your loved ones remind us why continued support and research is vital.
People with cystic fibrosis are living much longer and healthier lives thanks to new therapies, medications and care.
But the work continues towards a future where cystic fibrosis no longer limits people’s lives or undermines their quality of life.
Cystic Fibrosis SA stands alongside families, researchers and healthcare teams paving the way forward. This organisation’s advocacy, support and care has been making a difference in the lives of people living with cystic fibrosis and their families for more than 50 years.
Earlier this year, we were pleased to hold here at Government House the launch of The Mentor Pathways Program, a Cystic Fibrosis SA initiative that connects people living with cystic fibrosis to mentors who have walked a similar.
What a relief it must be to talk with someone who knows firsthand what you’re going through and what support you need. In the words of one of the mentors, ‘With the right support, there’s so much that’s possible.’ [1]
To everyone involved in this work – thank you.
Today’s ceremony shows that your care for families affected by cystic fibrosis carries on, even after a loved one is gone.
This community wraps its arms around grieving families, offering support from people who know what you are going through.
Friends
Cystic fibrosis has taken so much.
But it cannot take away our love for people we’ve lost or the memories we share.
I hope you find peace in this gathering, in the beauty of this garden, in the uplifting music of the Adelaide University Medical Orchestra Choir, and in knowing your loved ones are remembered – not just today but always.