Page 45 - ANZCP Gazette May 2023

CLARKE THUYS – LIFE FELLOW 2021
Stephen B. Horton PhD, CCP, CCP (USA), FACBS
Director of Perfusion, Royal Children's Hospital, VIC
L-R: Jane Ottens, Clarke Thuys, Stephen Horton, Alison, Horton, Carla Zazulak
Clarke was employed by the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne in early 1990 as a trainee perfusionist. He came highly recommended by the ICU Chief Clinical Technologist, whose opinion I valued. This proved to be a good decision. From the start Clarke showed a high degree of mechanical aptitude and was happy to modify equipment to make it work in the paediatric environment. He enjoyed studying the course and successfully navigated the pitfalls that were prevalent at the time; which no doubt made him such a fierce proponent of trying to improve the student journey as well as supporting the College in many guises over several decades. Providing continuity of direction has been invaluable to the development of the perfusion community, not only for the ANZCP, but also for many other countries including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia etc. He is well respected both nationally and internationally, and has made many friends within the college student fraternity who have benefitted from his expertise and care.
Clarke has undertaken over 4000 CPB cases while at RCH and has gone on many missions. His ability to deal with urgent situations that required out of the ordinary applications was always his trademark. You know that he could make it work with limited resources in the field and was happy that he was the man “on point”. The on call commitment over this time was onerous with many family functions being missed due to that urgent elective weekend case, which he generally took on the chin with minor grumblings - as we all have. One of our anaesthetists asked ‘when is he returning from holiday?’ to which I replied ‘never’, with the resultant response
of ‘Oh No’! - which is how we all feel of the loss to our subspecialty within perfusion that is paediatrics, as well as his friendship, and of course beer producing prowess.
We all wish Clarke a well-deserved retirement and trust that now he can spend this time with his family.
Clarke unravelling an oxygenator
MAY 2023 | www.anzcp.org 42