Fiona excelled at school and sport. She stood up for others when she saw they needed help and although only 5’ 1”, as is often referred to in the book, being shorter didn’t stop her when she had to stand up to bullies, nor hinder her naturally competitive athletic spirit. 

As she was approaching the age to go to high school, she was selected to go to a school that did not offer a university entrance certificate. When her determined mother, Elsie, wrote to the then Minister for Education, she received a reply acknowledging her daughter’s academic achievements, but stated she couldn’t go to another state school that offered a university entrance. As a girl, she was not considered university material. 

Not a person to accept this decision, her mother was determined to do whatever she could for her clever and diligent daughter. This led to Fiona getting a place at an elite independent school, where she excelled and became the Head Girl and an inspiration to the other students.

This laid the foundation for her future. 

Sue Williams is an accomplished, award-winning author, who worked with Professor Fiona Wood to write this book. She interviewed members of Fiona’s family, colleagues and many patients, to tell the story of this unique and I’m sure, one in many millions of people who overcame many obstacles and barriers. Don’t tell her it can’t be done because she will find a way it can be achieved. 

Married in England to an Australian surgeon who wanted to return home to Perth she embraced the Australian lifestyle. They had six children as planned, which would be daunting for most people, but not Fiona Wood. She qualified as a plastic surgeon and then decided to specialise in burns and now is head of the burns units in Perth, Western Australia. 

In 2002, three bombs decimated the heart of Bali a popular holiday destination for Australians. Fortunately, one of Professor Fiona Wood’s team had just arrived with his wife, who is an anaesthetist, for a week’s holiday. Abandoning their holiday plans, they immediately went to help the victims, while communicating with Fiona. Reading about the bombings, and the horrific injuries they caused, is quite confronting but makes one realise the enormous task and the incredible work that Fiona Wood and her team did to save twenty-eight survivors with up to ninety-two percent burns.

As a pioneer in her field of burns and reconstructive surgery, we read how she throws her heart and soul into everything that she does, whether that is caring for and healing her patients, setting up a research foundation together with Maria Stoner, inventing ground-breaking spray-on-skin to minimise patients’ burns, creating a preparation plan for major incidents, also a first and far more. 

When patients present with high degrees of burns and most think they don’t have a chance of survival, Fiona Wood refuses to accept this. In most cases she succeeds, focusing on recovery, healing and importantly having a good quality of life after the burns have healed.

As a result of her care many of her patients are pleased to help further her research and be part of scientific trials to help others. Some younger burns patients have been inspired by her to go into medicine so they too can help others.

She is highly regarded internationally, has been named Australia’s most trusted person six times, awarded an AM, inducted as a National Living Treasure, is co-founder of the Fiona Wood Foundation (previously named the McComb Foundation), has published three hundred scientific papers, is a director of the Burns Service of Western Australia, is a consultant plastic surgeon at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital and Winthrop professor at the School of Surgery at The University of Western Australia.

All this, while a keen daily bicycle rider, triathlete,  enjoying a good family life, taking her children to school, attending their school events and taking them with her to work, helping out in class or on school excursions, baking them cakes, even sewing an elaborate wedding dress for one of her daughters and now a happy grandmother of 4.

It is more than heartwarming, to read she has a down-to-earth attitude, introduces herself and tells people to call her Fiona and recognises the whole team who help patients, whether they are surgeons, physiotherapist, nurses, admin or cleaners.

As one of her patients,Tony says, “she’s certainly an incredible gift to the human race”.

Highly recommended reading. It is inspiring and outstanding.

All proceeds that Professor Fiona Wood receives from the sale of this book will go into the Foundation to continue to reduce suffering from burns injuries into the future. So please, click one of the links below and buy a copy of this book - you will be amazed at how much more there is to this story.  This review is the tip of the iceberg. Not only will you enjoy reading this beautifully written book, you will be helping humanity.

About the author: Sue Williams is an award wining writer who has a keen eye for detail and her books are a pleasure to read. So far she has written 26 books including several biographies, travel, true crime, genetics, and another reviewed here is Elizabeth & Elizabeth about the pioneering colonial days in Australia

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