We’re proud to share with our community that the recipient of the 2025 COUCH Chair’s Award is the very deserving Jo Hohnberg from All Woman in Atherton.
For more than two-and-a-half years, Jo has been visiting the COUCH Cancer Hub each month, offering professional fittings for breast prosthetics and post-mastectomy bras. It’s an incredible service for women navigating breast cancer treatment and survivorship and it’s work that means the world to her.
“It’s the part of the job we’re most passionate about at All Woman,” Jo says.
“There’s such a need for this service here in Cairns. There’s nobody else who does this kind of thing for women. We have ladies coming up from Townsville and even from out west, because there’s just nowhere else for them to go.”
Jo is the only provider of this unique service north of Townsville, with clients travelling from as far south as the Whitsundays to see her. She loves witnessing the transformation that happens when a woman is professionally fitted for a prosthetic bra.
“It’s incredible to watch the change, their body language, their smiles. Seeing that confidence return… It’s just amazing. It’s more than appearance; it’s about helping women feel like themselves again.
“When someone is going through one of the hardest times in their life, it means so much just to have someone there to listen, to care, to help,” Jo adds. “We’re not medical staff, but we know what we’re doing and we know how to make a difference.”
A passionate advocate for COUCH Cancer Hub NQ, Jo says her monthly visits are one of the highlights of her work. “The moment you walk in that door, there’s such a sense of peace and serenity. It’s just a beautiful feeling.”
She’s also the human behind the heart-shaped felt tokens you’ll find at the COUCH Care Hub. Part of the 1000 Hearts Program, these small, hand-stitched hearts are shared as symbols of love and kindness. Jo has brought the initiative to life locally, working with Tablelands school students to spread warmth, kindness and compassion throughout the community.
COUCH Chair, Dr Scott Davis, said Jo was a “very deserving recipient” of the award, adding that he hopes she will “continue to bring her service to the clients at COUCH in the years to come”.
Congratulations, Jo! This recognition is so well deserved. We thank you for the care, compassion and confidence you bring to so many women in our community. We’re truly grateful to have you as part of the COUCH family.