I started this petition after leaving Mount Gambier Hospital feeling ignored, judged and unheard when I had gone there voluntarily for help.

Since then, 644 people have signed, and the campaign has grown into something bigger than my own experience.

The Ryan Bowman Legacy of Care Foundation is working to strengthen the ability of patients and families to speak up when they are worried about someone’s care. I wholeheartedly support Chris and Deb’s work and the change they are fighting for in Ryan’s name.

Listen Before You Dismiss stands beside that work with a connected focus: making sure rural patients are listened to from the beginning, treated with dignity, assessed as a whole person and included in decisions about their care.

The two campaigns are separate, but they share the same hope—that fewer patients and families will be left frightened, dismissed or wondering whether anyone truly heard them.

We are calling for:

compassionate and respectful communication;

physical and mental health concerns to be considered together;

better coordination with treating doctors and specialists;

accurate documentation and clear accountability; and

safer, more transparent care across rural and regional hospitals.

This is not about attacking healthcare workers. It is about supporting changes that help staff, patients and families work together before trust is broken or harm occurs.

I am continuing because the next person who asks for help deserves to be heard.

Please sign and share so both community-led campaigns can keep building safer care for future patients and families.

Listen before you dismiss—because being heard can change what happens next