No words can explain how incredibly humbled I feel to be one of the 10 everyday Australians invited to attend her Majesty’s funeral. I’m not sure I can ever reconcile how I could have recieved this honour, but my hope is the focus is on less on me as an individual being chosen, and more of this honour belonging to all 25 specialists in Special needs dentistry in Australia. I am grateful for the opportunity this invitation brought for me to meet with our Premier and discuss importance of equitable access to oral healthcare due to its impact on general health, wellbeing and how essential it is for inclusion and participation in society – through being able to eat, speak and smile.
It has been deeply profound and moving for me to see how the presence of us ordinary Australians at her Majesty’s funeral means so much to so many people. Since the announcement I have received many messages from different people who share an aspect of their identity with me, from fellow specialists in Special needs dentistry, oral healthcare professionals, Australians with an Asian background, and young females. Their messages saying they are proud to have me there, representing people like them, just as many people with disabilities feel proud to have Dylan Alcott representing them. I feel a strong sense of duty and responsibility to do my best to be a worthy representative of our country and its diversity, and hope to make Australia proud.
Thank you to every person who has sent messages and posted – I carry all of your wishes, deep respect and condolences for her Majesty with me as I pay respect to her incredible life of service and commitment to the community.
