Struan Lamport was an amazing supporter of Children’s Medical Research who sadly passed away last year in October at the age of 82. Struan and her family have supported CMRI for over 43 years, and are still supporting us today. 

Her father, Norman, was an Australian rugby player, Rhodes Scholar, and engineer, and felt research was vital. Struan once recalled, “He would say that he wanted all children to have that possibility, to be able to play football for Australia or be a Rhodes Scholar.” 

Struan knew how important medical research was to helping sick kids, as she had a serious illness herself as a child that left her bed ridden. Her father supported her every step of the way and even taught her how to walk again. 

Having a role model like her father and facing an illness at such a young age made Struan incredibly caring.

She was a paediatric nurse and worked with premature babies, she learned Auslan to communicate with deaf kids, and returned her father’s support by caring for him as he got older. These experiences motivated Struan to invest in medical research by continuing her father’s tradition, and leaving a gift in her Will to CMRI.

However, many years ago, Struan and her sister, Kaye, decided to also donate regularly during their lifetime.

And the very kind-hearted Struan did see the benefits, including before she passed away, by visiting the Institute, touring our labs and talking to our researchers. The Lamport family will always hold a special place at CMRI, and their legacy will live on forever.