About Us
Founder and Patron, Ros Worthington OAM
“It’s not what happens to you in life,
it’s how you deal with it.”
Ros Worthington OAM has been through more in her lifetime than most people could even imagine. Ros was taken from her Mother at the age of four and sexually abused as a child. Ros has suffered chronic breast disease, undergoing 12 lumpectomies followed by a mastectomy, reconstruction and hysterectomy at the age of 35. She then faced near bankruptcy and survived the suicide of her soul mate. Ros believes that these struggles have made her the person that she is today.
Ros is an inspiring woman who devotes her life to giving others a better quality of life. Ros recognised the desperate need for greater womens services, opening La Femme, the state’s first mastectomy boutique. Ros then opened boutiques throughout Western Australia and New Zealand before pioneering the concept in Asia. Her works in this area saw her become a Telstra Business Woman of The Year Award state finalist.
During this time Ros became the state’s first Make A Wish Foundation volunteer, a charity that makes dreams come true for terminally ill children. Ros established and ran the Foundation in WA, setting up 6 branches throughout the state before becoming a director on the national board and then an International Director on the Make A Wish Foundation International Board. As the head of wish granting Ros was indirectly involved in granting around 500 wishes and remarkably her work for the Make A Wish Foundation was completely voluntary. Ros was awarded the prestigious Order of Australia Medal for services to children with life threatening illnesses.
In 2000 Ros founded the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA, a charity which aims to improve the quality of life for breast cancer sufferers and their families by providing practical, emotional and financial support. Ros worked with a committee of volunteer breast cancer survivors until the growth of the Foundation saw her employing the first paid staff member in 2003. The growth of the foundation now sees it having a board of business minded directors and an office team of 5 full time and 3 part time staff, 70 volunteers and a specialist Breast Care Nurse. Ros continued to work voluntarily up until 2005.
Through Ros’ drive and enthusiasm the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA has become one of the highest profile charities in this state and provides many unique services for Western Australians whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. These services are designed to alleviate some of the stress on women, men and their families at a time when their physical and emotional strength should be primarily focused on fighting the disease.
Ros now spends a lot of her time inspiring others through her public speaking and travels internationally building relationships with the UK and Ireland cancer networks, bringing new initiatives back to Perth to create awareness and further spread the massage of early detection saves lives.
Ros’ honours include:
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Rotary Community Service Award
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Soroptimist International Stella Giles Award for Excellence
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WA Citizen of the Year nominee
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Baton Runner for the Sydney Olympics
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Order of Australia Medal
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Telstra Business Woman of the Year state finalist
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Brownes Yoghurt Every Woman of the Year finalist
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Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year WA
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Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year national finalist
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Listed in the Who’s Who of Australian Women – a national book of 4,500 notable Australian women