Continence Health Australia (formerly the Continence Foundation of Australia) is delighted to announce that the recipient of the 2025 Carer of the Year Award is Keren Franks.
The award, which publicly acknowledges the vital role that unpaid carers play in supporting the health and wellbeing of so many in our community, was presented to Keren at the 33rd National Conference on Incontinence held in Hobart in May 2025. Keren was nominated by her sister-in-law.
A Life of Caring: Keren and Bella’s Story
Keren has been a primary carer for her daughter Bella for over 22 years, which ultimately inspired Keren to establish her own registered charity, Young Leaders of Tasmania.
Bella was born with Kabuki syndrome, a rare, congenital, multisystem disorder. For Bella, this involves multiple challenges including distinctive facial features, skeletal abnormalities, intellectual disabilities, and other medical conditions. This also includes bilateral kidney reflux (where urine flows back from the bladder to the kidneys) and frequent urinary tract infections.
Keren’s caring role is extensive. Since birth, Bella has needed full-time support with her personal care. The challenges have evolved over the years, with Bella experiencing severe constipation and bowel impaction, and also being diagnosed with Lichen Sclerosus, a chronic skin condition.
“A lot of my caring role is supporting Bella with the Lichen Sclerosus, dealing with flare ups of symptoms. Plus the constipation which leads to bowel impaction that she regularly experiences,” Keren explains.
Despite the complexities, Keren speaks selflessly about her contribution, “I do it because I love the person I care for. It’s just what any compassionate parent would do.”
Overcoming Isolation and Finding Strength
Keren admitted that the early years were challenging, grappling with difficult feelings of isolation and grief.
“You have these hopes and dreams for the baby you think you’re going to have, and then you’re thrown into such a different world with medical appointments, surgeries and planning flights to hospitals. It was challenging watching my friends’ children being out of nappies and walking, and then seeing Bella still in a walking frame and incontinent.”
Keren’s sister-in-law, Allison, who nominated her for the award, shared that Keren is “selfless in her work and passionate about promoting and advocating for people living with a disability.”
Keren's vital advice to other carers is to "reach out and use support". She notes the wonderful support she receives from her husband, Ron, and her mother, and prioritises her own wellbeing.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup. I’ve always tried to keep the view that if I don't look after myself, then I can’t help Bella.”
Inspiring Change with Young Leaders of Tasmania
Keren’s personal journey with Bella led to the establishment of Young Leaders of Tasmania and the School Buddies Program. Witnessing the positive impact Bella had on her peers in a mainstream school setting was the inspiration.
The programme, which has now gained State Government funding to roll out across all support schools in Tasmania, involves children from mainstream schools completing a disability awareness practical leadership programme. This includes students being buddied with a child living with a disability through weekly visits.
“The programme helps to reduce the stigma of disability and increases the understanding that underneath the surface, everyone is the same and we all feel the same emotions.”
Congratulations once again to Keren Franks for this well-deserved award!
About the award
The Carer of the Year Award acknowledges the important – but often overlooked – role of the 3 million at-home carers across Australia. Many of these carers are responsible for the complex role of providing bladder and bowel care.
"Unpaid carers are the silent backbone of our society, offering unwavering support to loved ones with immense dedication. Continence Health Australia's Carer of the Year Award highlights their extraordinary contributions and serves as a reminder of the compassion and resilience that define these everyday heroes."
- Jim Cooper, CEO of Continence Health Australia
This award was open to unpaid carers from all around Australia and nominations are invited from family, friends, health professionals or the person being cared for.
The winner of the Carer of the Year award receives a prize of $1,000, which was announced at the 33rd National Conference on Incontinence at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, 7-10 May 2025.
The following questions were included in the application form:
- How long has the person been a carer?
- What challenges has the carer faced in being a carer?
- What does the carer do to help maintain the dignity and quality of life of the person being cared for?
Frequently Asked Questions
All unpaid carers are eligible to apply for the award. Previous Carer of the Year winners are ineligible to apply.
For the nomination to be considered, the nominator must confirm that:
- The carer provides continence care
- The carer has been notified before making the nomination
- The carer is happy for their story to be published on continence.org.au and in Bridge Magazine
Anyone can nominate a carer. This includes the carer themselves, a family member, friend, a health professional or the person who receives care. Nominators must notify the carer before making a nomination.
The winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000.
Not yet.
Carer of the Year Award Winner 2024
The winner of the Carer of the Year 2024 is Maria Erceg, from Western Australia.
Maria Erceg has cared for someone almost her whole life. Starting with her mother who had mental illness, her father who suffered from dementia and now her loving husband who is in the late stages of Parkinson’s disease. This caring role has involved a full-time workload of hospital visits, doctors’ appointments, and chemist pick-ups, along with ongoing emotional and physical support.
Maria has taken on these roles in earnest, drawing on support from her family throughout her carer’s journey.
As quoted by Maria’s daughter, who nominated her for the award, “Despite her challenges, Maria continues to provide kindness, compassion and love to everyone around her. People often say that she is one of the friendliest and kindest people that they have ever met, and it is second nature for her to make sure everyone around her is okay.”
Congratulations Maria, the winner of the Carer of the Year Award 2024.