By NIKKI TODD
COMMUNITIES stretching from the Tweed to Kenya are mourning the death of one of their most loved members after midwife Lyle Burgoyne lost his battle with cancer over the weekend.
Mr Burgoyne, who worked as a registered nurse and midwife at Murwillumbah Hospital for more than 30 years, died last Saturday after a long battle with cancer.
He will be remembered at a funeral service tomorrow (Friday, October 4) at 1pm at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Racecourse Rd, Murwillumbah.
The father of four was well loved in the Tweed where he helped deliver thousands of babies over the years.
But his love for children and concern for their well-being extended well past the boundaries of Australia, with Mr Burgoyne establishing Kenya Health in 2010 to help improve the health of children in the remote villages and slums of the impoverished southern African nation.
His concern for the health of Kenyan children was ignited after his first visit to the country in 2008 when he was so moved by the plight of the women and children that he returned to establish Kenya Health two years later.
The organisation, supported by the Rotary Club of Mt Warning, aims to provide medicine, medical treatment and healthcare education to the many patients that present at its clinics.
Staffed by volunteers and one permanent staff member, Kenya Health provides at least 20 medical clinics per year, attending to up to 400 patients per day.
Based at Nakuru, north-west of the capital Nairobi, the clinics are run in the slums, the rubbish dump, women’s prison and further afield in other remote villages where there is a desperate need for medical treatment.
Mr Burgoyne’s daughter Sarah Young said her father would be sorely missed.
“Dad was a wonderful father who was full of life and fun,’’ Ms Young said.
“He was never still, always working or fixing something around the house – from flower arranging to cooking, to carpentry to mechanics there was little he couldn’t do.
“He had a way with babies, there were few who would not calm completely in his arms.
“He loved his work as a midwife and brought many babies into the world. He was a master of the ‘dad joke’ and wasn’t above bad puns.
“He always encouraged us to do our best and was proud of us no matter what. He will be sorely missed.’’
A long-time colleague and friend said Mr Burgoyne had a way with children and was loved by all attending the hospital.
“Lyle was always walking around with a baby in his arms or a toddler on his hips, he was like the pied-piper of children,’’ she said.
“Whether he was at the hospital or the chemist, he never hesitated to go beyond the call, he was always giving a lot more than he needed to.’’
Tweed Byron Health Service Group Northern NSW Local Health District Executive Director Bernadette Loughnane also paid tribute to Mr Burgoyne.
“On behalf of Tweed Byron Health Service Group and the NNSW LHD, I wish to acknowledge the contribution Lyle Burgoyne made as a midwifery nurse working in the women’s care unit at Murwillumbah Hospital, who sadly passed away over the weekend,” she said.
“Lyle Burgoyne commenced training as a general and midwifery nurse in 1975 at the Gold Coast Hospital in Southport. He later studied paediatric training at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth before commencing with Murwillumbah District Hospital in 1981.
“During this time, he worked for many of these years as a midwife in the women’s care unit before taking a position as a caseload midwife with the Tweed Valley Birthing Service at Murwillumbah Hospital, where he found working as a midwife brought him his greatest job satisfaction.
“Those who had the privilege of working with him say he was never happier than when he had a baby in his arms.
“He will be remembered as a man of great integrity, a passionate nurse and midwife, and a loyal friend who always had time for everyone.
“On behalf of the NNSW LHD, I wish to extend our sincere sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues,” Ms Loughnane said.
Mr Burgoyne leaves behind his wife Jenny and four children, Cameron, Joe, Sarah and Hannah.
