Proud Yorta Yorta woman and Ambulance Victoria paramedic Michelle Crilly is on a mission to protect indigenous communities from the potentially deadly coronavirus. Michelle talks the talk on 3KND. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at greater risk of becoming critically unwell from COVID-19 due to higher rates of chronic illness amongst indigenous communities. Michelle wants Indigenous Australians to understand why they are at higher risk, the importance of social distancing, hand hygiene and where support is available.
She knows too well how difficult it is to undertake these measures in communal and large family environments but that it’s vitally important. Story angles: Proud Aboriginal paramedic Michelle Crilly wants to protect i
I grew up in a single mother household being the only child for my first 17 years of life. I had a great life growing up and had a supportive mother who always encouraged me. No one in my family had completed high school and my grandmother was a part of the Stolen Generations and to this day still cannot read and write. Who are the women that inspire you?
My mother is one woman who inspires me and always did the best she could on her own. She never showed me her struggles and always gave me the best chance to succeed in life. Another woman who inspires me is my Step Mother who owns two businesses on her own as well as being a mother to my three step brothers and sister. These women on a daily basis show the strength a mother can have and how you can build yourself up to have a successful life. What does self-determination mean to you? Self-determination to me means taking control of your life and your future. It means standing up for your rights to build yourself a better life in the future for yourself, for you family and for your community.