“I really want to reduce disparities in cancer treatment and care,” says Kayla.
“This can be achieved by developing culturally safe cancer care models that prioritise early detection, prevention and patient-centred care delivered on Country.”
Behind this clarity of purpose, however, lies profound personal hardship.
Kayla’s first year of medical school coincided with the devastating loss of her father – her biggest supporter – to Stage 4 lymphoma. His illness involved years of treatment, followed by six months in intensive care and a prolonged medically-induced coma.
Kayla was at the hospital daily, balancing the demands of her studies with caring for her young children. During this time, she gave birth to her third child in the same hospital where her father lay unconscious.
Navigating grief, motherhood and the intensity of a medical degree felt overwhelming, but Kayla says it was the support of her community, Flinders University and scholarships, that got her through.
“My family and mob were incredible, and Flinders lecturers, students and staff offered genuine care, flexibility and practical help,” she says.
“Financial support through scholarships was also critical. It allowed me to reduce paid work, spend time with my children, and access essential study resources.”
During her first year of study, Kayla received the Mavis Brown Scholarship, Indigenous Medical Study Resources, and the Professor Ross Kalucy Indigenous Wellbeing Scholarship.
“The financial support meant I could work less, be present with my children and focus on my studies without constantly worrying about whether we’d have enough money to get through the week.”
But receiving the Professor Michael Kidd AO Scholarship in her second year marked a turning point for her focus, after such a difficult year.
“Thanks to this scholarship support, I can give my degree everything I’ve got,” says Kayla.
“I can focus on becoming the doctor I know my community needs, without carrying that constant weight of financial stress.”
Passionate about doing what he can to make the world a better place, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd AO FAHMS created the scholarship with his husband Professor Alastair McEwin AM.
“In 2010, when I was Executive Dean of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University, it became clear that one of the most effective ways to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to become health professionals,” says Professor Kidd.
“The scholarship supports the retention and successful graduation of Indigenous students studying medicine, nursing and allied health professions at Flinders University – which can lead to improvements in the health and wellbeing of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
For Kayla, the impact of the scholarship was immediate and profound. It allowed her to fully commit to her studies and focus on her future – without the daily anxiety of whether she could pay her bills.
“To everyone who donates to scholarships – thank you! Your donation creates breathing room to balance study with life. It allows people like me to show up fully – as students, as parents, and as future doctors,” says Kayla.
“Without the scholarships, I wouldn’t be still studying, still dreaming, still moving toward a future where my children and my community have a healthier future.”
More than financial assistance, the scholarships have sent Kayla a powerful message – that she is valued, her ambitions matter, and her future impact is believed in.
This is a sentiment Professor Kidd wholeheartedly shares.
“Indigenous students training to become health professionals have the capacity to be clinicians, role models, and community leaders,” he says. “Kayla embodies all three.”
