Trudy Lin, a dentist in Adelaide who specializes in treating patients with special needs, is honored to be invited to the Queen’s funeral and hopes that her presence would bring greater exposure to her sector.
The 2022 Young Australian of the Year delivers oral healthcare to people with physical and intellectual disabilities, psychiatric illness, or difficult medical conditions, such as cancer.
Trudy Lin, an Adelaide dentist specializing in special needs and the 2022 Young Australian of the Year, was honored and touched to receive an invitation to attend the funeral of the Queen. She hopes that her invitation would increase the visibility of other professionals in special needs dentistry.
Dr. Lin is one of twenty experts in Australia who give oral health treatment to individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, psychiatric illness, or serious medical conditions, such as cancer.
She is one of twenty such specialists across the nation.
Dr. Lin stated, “It is a tremendous honor and humbling to be picked to represent South Australia and Australia.”
I hope that the spotlight is less on me as an individual and more on me as a representative of all the other special needs dentistry specialists who work for the same cause.
Dr. Lin expressed a “great amount of respect” for the Queen and her dedication to a life of service.
As soon as she received the call from the prime minister’s office on Sunday, she immediately checked her work.
She stated, “My primary dedication is to my patients, but I am very lucky to be supported by an incredible staff.”
They were more than willing to assist and encourage me in my pursuit of this opportunity.
Dr. Lin was one of ten ‘ordinary Australians’ invited to the funeral held at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
She will be joined by Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, Australian of the Year Local Hero Shanna Whan, co-creator of the i4give Day and Foundation Danny Abdallah, and Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee Chris Waller.
Australian Senior of the Year Valmai Dempsey, Kim Smith (Tasmanian Local Hero), Dr. Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann (2021 Senior Australian of the Year), Professor Helen Milroy (2021 Western Australian of the Year), and Saba Abraham (2022 Queensland Local Hero) were also invited.
On Monday, September 19, Doctor Lin is one of ten “ordinary” Australians invited to attend the Queen’s funeral in Westminster Abbey (pictured, Queen Elizabeth II)