Lived Experience Advisory Council
Meet the Committee Ambassadors, Lived experience, Individual skills. Collective Vision.
Our Diabetes SA Lived Experience Advisory Council has been formed from members of the South Australian community, that have put their hands up to volunteer their time, lived experiences and knowledge in a commitment to making a difference here at Diabetes SA. They bring passion from diverse backgrounds with varying lived experiences across living and managing diabetes, across all types. Get to know the faces behind our mission — meet the Lived Experience Advisory Council.
Our Lived Experience Advisory Council
Ravi Subramanian co-chairs the Lived Experience Advisory Panel [LEAP] alongside Diabetes SA CEO Catherine Hughes. Ravi has lived with Type 2 diabetes for 28 years, having moved to Australia from Chennai, India. He’s become a prominent voice for culturally appropriate diabetes care in South Australia, working with Diabetes SA on a state-funded initiative to help shape health messaging that reaches the state’s Indian and broader South Asian communities, groups who experience diabetes at significantly higher rates than the South Australian average. Ravi is a strong advocate for the power of native-language information, culturally relevant analogies, and family involvement in helping people make lasting lifestyle changes.
Magali Hussey was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12 and has lived with it for 40 years. She has been a life member of Diabetes SA for that entire time and has worked as a swimming instructor, medical scientist and in surgical administration. She has a long history of community volunteering including dog obedience, KESAB and Breakthrough T1D. Magali is also autistic and is keen to bring a neurodivergent perspective to the Council’s work as well as help Diabetes SA better engage with younger and working age members.
Royce Wilson is a retired Project Administrator establishing Quality, Production Management and Occupational Health and Safety Systems in a range of industry types over many decades. His experience in those fields provides an opportunity to exercise those attributes with Diabetes SA. Living with Type 2 diabetes, Royce has joined the LEAP Group to strengthen the Diabetes SA’s connection with the wider community.
Mark Farrows has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 38 years. He’s been a strong advocate for equitable access to insulin pump technology and continuous glucose monitoring, and has taken that advocacy all the way to the Federal Health Minister to push for CGM to move to a subsidised model.
Georgia (Gia) Pyrlis is a counselling and engagement coordinator with a not-for-profit, managing contracted counsellors across metropolitan and regional South Australia. A former teacher and Flinders University tutor, Gia lives with LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) and is passionate about improving access for all areas of SA to receive support and education to improve the lives of those diagnosed with diabetes.
Natalie Salem is a senior clinical physiotherapist across the Public and Private Health systems, and is currently studying to become a Credentialled Diabetes Educator. As the parent of a child living with Type 1 diabetes, she brings both a professional and a family lens to the Council’s discussions.
