It’s people like David and Jenny—who give, who show up, who care—who make dental care possible for families living hours away from a clinic.
After over a decade with our Dental team in Broken Hill and Dubbo—plus countless trips in the dental van to remote towns like Hebel, Pooncarie and Grawin—David and Jenny say their greatest reward has been seeing how their dental education and treatment has transformed lives.
In one of the communities where they volunteered, children once had an average of six cavities each. After years of teaching dental care and regular visits, that number dropped to nearly zero. We cannot thank David and Jenny enough for their tireless efforts, dedicating over 100 weeks of dental care to some of Australia’s most remote families.
Jenny recalls a patient who drove 2.5 hours each way to get his tooth fixed. If he had not been able to get an appointment with David, it would have been a 6 hour drive each way. "People in the city don’t realise the distances people have to travel and why a sore tooth gets ignored until they’re in agony,” Jenny said.
Stories like this motivated them to continue volunteering long after retirement age. David left his private practice in 2012, but continued volunteering with us in the dental van. David and Jenny are now officially retiring to spend more time with their children and grandchildren. However, they are hopeful others will be inspired to give back to communities in the bush like they have.
“It should be our role to help other people because that’s what makes the world go round," David and Jenny shared in agreement. “Growing up in a small country town, we know the RFDS are a lifeline for everybody. We had to help. It’s almost in your DNA to give back to the RFDS.”
If you’re interested in following in the inspiring footsteps of volunteers like David and Jenny, please get in touch with us at https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/careers/volunteer/.
