By Abbey Cannan
Peregian Springs mother Sarah Jane Gray has been honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to community health.
Ms Gray is the founder and chief executive officer of charity ausEE Inc.
She has two daughters, one of whom, Bella, lives with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) and was the catalyst for her forming the non-profit organisation in November 2009.
Working in a volunteer capacity for 12 years, until 2022, Ms Gray was the president until being appointed as part time chief executive officer from 2022.
Her goal is to make sure that anyone who lives with an eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder can turn to ausEE for support and to help raise awareness for eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders in Australia.
“I was surprised when I found out about the OAM,“ Ms Gray said.
“The work that I do has always been a labour of love, so I don’t expect anything from it. But it’s nice to be recognised.“
For every new member who joins ausEE, Ms Gray’s passion and commitment to the organisation strengthens. She strives to improve the quality of life for all people living with eosinophilic diseases.
Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) occur when a type of white blood cell, called an eosinophil (pronounced ee-oh-sin-oh-fill), is found in increased numbers in the gastrointestinal tract.
“It’s a complicated rare disease,“ Ms Gray said.
“I wrote three children’s books explaining the disease to make it easier for kids to understand.“
These books include Oliva and Kate, 2015 and Meet Arabella, 2011.
“Feeding Tube Awareness Week is our charity’s next awareness campaign (5-11 February),“ Ms Gray said.
For more information about eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, visit ausee.org
Donations to ausEE Inc. over $2 are tax deductible. All donations received will help them to achieve their mission and fund Australian medical research through ausEE’s Medical Research Fund.
