Christopher John O'Brien
AO (3 January 1952 – 4 June 2009) was an Australian head and neck surgeon. He achieved national recognition as a compassionate surgeon in the reality television series ''
RPA''.
Early life
O'Brien was born into a working-class family and grew up in a
Housing Commission home in the western Sydney suburb of
Regents Park.
He was educated at
Parramatta Marist High School
, motto_translation = Go Forth With Strength
, location = 2 Darcy Road, Westmead, Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales
, country = Australia
, coordinates =
, pushpin_map = Australia ...
, where he was school captain, captain of the firsts rugby league team and
dux of the class of 1969. He later graduated in medicine from the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one o ...
.
Medical career
O'Brien rose to the positions of Director of the Sydney Cancer Centre based at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Sydney, Professor of Surgery at the University of Sydney, Director of the Sydney Head and Neck Cancer Institute, and Director of Cancer Services for the Sydney South West Area Health Service. He founded the Australian and New Zealand Head Neck Society in 1998 and was President of the Society in 2004. During his career, O'Brien lectured widely overseas, wrote several books and wrote more than 100 scientific papers.
O'Brien was instrumental in establishing the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse cancer centre (named after him posthumously).
Australian Prime Minister
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the federal government of Australia and is also accountable to federal parliament under the principle ...
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
said "Chris' vision was for an integrated cancer treatment centre so that patients would no longer have to navigate their way through all the different elements of dealing with their illness alone."
Television
O'Brien first appeared on the medical reality series ''
RPA'' in 1997.
Illness and death
O'Brien was diagnosed with a highly malignant brain tumour (
glioblastoma multiforme
Glioblastoma, previously known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is one of the most aggressive types of cancer that begin within the brain. Initially, signs and symptoms of glioblastoma are nonspecific. They may include headaches, personality cha ...
) in November 2006. He underwent brain surgery on five occasions, as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He detailed his battle with the illness in his autobiographical book ''Never Say Die''. He died on 4 June 2009.
O'Brien was given a state funeral service at
St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. He is survived by his wife Gail and children.
Prime Minister Rudd flew to Sydney shortly before O'Brien's death to present him with his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia. He was invested posthumously. After his death, Rudd said
I believe Chris O'Brien has been a truly exceptional Australian. Chris O'Brien was a man of leadership, vision and courage. He inspired people, both through his work as a cancer specialist and through his own three-year battle with an aggressive, highly malignant brain tumour.
Recognition and awards
*2009 – O'Brien was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia posthumously
:''"For continued service to medicine and to the community through advocacy and fundraising roles for the development of integrated care and clinical research facilities for people with cancer, particularly the establishment of the Lifehouse Centre at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital"''
*2005 – Member of the Order of Australia
:''"For service to medicine, particularly to the speciality of head and neck surgery through leadership as a clinical researcher and teacher"''
Following his death, The Chris O'Brien Lifehouse at
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School a ...
was named in his honour. The facility is a part of the Sydney Cancer Centre, dedicated to cancer treatment and research.
Sydney Cancer Centre
References
External links
''60 Minutes'' program transcript
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Chris (Surgeon)
Australian surgeons
Australian people of Irish descent
Deaths from brain tumor
Officers of the Order of Australia
Australian oncologists
University of Sydney alumni
Deaths from cancer in New South Wales
1952 births
2009 deaths
20th-century surgeons