Jorrie and Nova regularly travel overseas to attend conferences,
education forums, and visit with other specialists in the field to
continuously develop their own knowledge and skills in the area.
They have created their own obesity medicine unit in line with
world’s best practice and often host other bariatric surgeons in order
to share their knowledge.
Jorrie and Nova agreed they would also like to see the stigma removed
from bariatric surgery. They would like to see obesity recognised as
a disease, like asthma or diabetes, and treated as such. If obesity was
widely accepted and treated as a disease it would help remove the
stigma, which would lead to more people seeking help.
Their passion for medicine has seemingly trickled down to the other
great loves of Nova and Jorrie’s life – their daughters. Often attending
rounds with their parents and video reviewing various surgical
procedures, it comes as little surprise that the dolls in the Jordaan house
often suffer from a range of maladies that require blood pressure checks,
anaesthetisation and surgical procedures of various descriptions.
It is a sincere hope of the Jordaans that they can model for their children
the possibilities for the future and give their daughters the confidence to
follow their own passions – whether that be medicine or not.
But, it is not all work and no play with the Jordaans. Jorrie was a keen
athlete when he was younger, playing Rugby Union in South Africa.
In fact, playing rugby is where Jorrie got his nickname – Jorrie.
Calling out Jacobus or Jordaan didn’t roll off the tongue too well, so
the crowd shortened Jordaan to Jorrie (pronounced Yorrie) and it has
stuck ever since.
Running a busy practice means long holidays are not always a
possibility, so ‘staycations’ play a big part in how the Jordaans relax.
Jorrie and Nova’s perfect day would be spent in a pool in Cabarita
with their family, just enjoying the weather and maybe a margarita or
two for Nova while the kids float buy on a giant inflatable unico rn or
otter or swan….
The perfect day would be finished off with a BBQ fillet steak and a
whiskey for Jorrie and a generous antipasto grazing plate for Nova
while listening to an eclectic combination of Dire Straits, Queen, Norah
Jones and the Wiggles (for the kids…).
Bedtime reading mostly consists of children’s books, with Dr Seuss,
Hairy Maclary and Harry Potter featuring heavily on the Jordaans’
bedside tables – as with most busy parents time for your own
recreational reading is hard to come by.
It is often real life that inspires the Jordaans, when things get tough and
seem insurmountable, they call on their core beliefs of never giving up,
that there is always a way and to always do the right thing, even when it
is the most difficult thing to do.
It was these ideals that helped Jorrie make the decision to make
Australia his home.
“I always liked Australians and the weather was important, but it was
the meritocracy that exists in Australia, and the egalitarian belief that
everyone matters that appealed to me the most,” Jorrie said.
“It is these same reasons we have stayed with Pindara all these
years and built our practice here. There is a commitment to quality
and excellence and it is the same at all levels, from environmental
staff, to admin and clinical; the patient is always at the centre and
everyone matters.”
I think it is safe to say we are glad Jorrie and Nova have chosen Pindara
as the place to continue their pursuit of perfection.
16 Pindara Magazine
TOP: DR JACOBUS AND DR NOVA
JORDAAN IN THEATRE.
MIDDLE: FAMILY PHOTO OF
DAUGHTER MIA’S 5TH BIRTHDAY.
BOTTOM: THE COUPLE CELEBRATING
THEIR WEDDING DAY.
ISSUE 14 | 2018