Combining her passion for law and healthcare with a dream of making a real difference, LEE Ming Tee Cape York Leaders scholarship recipient Darleen Ford is taking her first steps along the path to becoming Queensland’s first Indigenous coroner.
Darleen initially wanted to become a barrister but instead chose the path of health care and completed an Assistant in Nursing (AIN) course whilst heavily pregnant. She continued to blaze her path as she began her studies while caring for her family, growing it to six young kids and working a full-time job. Darleen then heard about the LEE Ming Tee Cape York Leaders scholarship program from her cousin Liamon Mudd and decided to apply.
The tertiary scholarship removes the financial burden and stress of studying at university while offering high level support and guidance from CYLP’s Student Support Officers.
Being part of the CYLP scholarship program relieves the financial burden that accompanies pursuing higher education and enables Darleen access to the vast CYLP support network.
This network of resources and student support officers are readily available to assist Darleen in her studies and personally as she navigates university life whilst raising her family.
Darleen is now pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing and hoping to complete a Master of Nursing through Deakin University to become a forensic nurse. However, becoming a forensic nurse is just a stepping stone for Darleen as she aims to enact change on a much higher level, combining her skills in medicine and her passion for law she hopes to become Queensland’s first Indigenous coroner.
Darleen will need to pursue further education in law and become a magistrate before she can be eligible to become a coroner and believes her skills in medicine will provide a deeper insight into the role.
Being a role model for her family is one of the main factors that has kept Darleen pushing for so long as she wants to set a shining example for her kids.
“I want them to see that if they work hard and never give up, they can be whatever they want to be,” she said.
Coroners are magistrates appointed to investigate ‘reportable deaths’ that occur in Queensland. Reportable deaths include instances where a person’s identity is unknown, the death was violent or unnatural, occurred in suspicious circumstances, or occurred in care, custody or as a result of a police operation. There is also jurisdiction for the coroner to inquire into suspected deaths, also known as missing persons. A coroner’s investigation can determine the identity of the deceased (if not already known), when, where and how they died, and also the medical cause of death. Once the coroner has completed their investigation, they consider whether to hold an inquest (public hearing) into the death, although most coronial investigations are finalised without an inquest.Darleen said without the support of her family, community and partner, she could never have hoped to have made it this far and now with the support of CYLP, she can put more of a focus on her education.
Darleen said she has witnessed first-hand the failings of the health system on First Nations people and wishes to become an advocate for better health outcomes and help repair and rebuild the system from the inside.
“We have to start somewhere,” she said.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information visit the Cape York Leaders Program website
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