AFTER she was diagnosed with blood cancer, Debra Campbell was told by doctors she had six months to live.
Rather than give up, the then 48-year-old decided to fight back and more than a decade later, she is still here.
In late 2003, Ms Campbell, of Port Lincoln, was told she was living with two terminal illnesses - a form of blood cancer and amyloidosis, a rare disease which affects the organs and body tissues. 
"They gave me six months as the best case scenario at that point which would have seen me having my last Christmas with my family at the end of 2003," she said.
"The doctors didn't think I had any hope of survival but ... I decided to do everything I could to stay around." Ms Campbell, now 60, travelled to Adelaide to undergo two lifesaving bone marrow transplants at Flinders Private.
She soon realised there were limited accommodation options for country patients and decided to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation's new Foundation Village, which has 15 apartments for people who need to relocate to the city for treatment.
She raised more than $180,000 for the cause.
One of the apartments was named the "Spirit of Eyre Peninsula" after her efforts and yesterday, Ms Campbell was announced South Australian Citizen of the Year in the Australia Day Awards for 2016.
Ms Campbell said going to Adelaide for treatment was a very difficult situation, where someone already in a state of shock and sickness was taken away from loved ones.
"That is when the idea of the patient village was born ... it is all covered by the foundation, including transport, accommodation and support networks," she said.
Spurred on by her personal experience, no effort was too small to raise money. "My brother-in-law cooked more sausages than you can imagine, we had a quiz night, tins around the community, we had bottle drives - it was all things that were doable for a small group," she said.
Ms Campbell also helped instigate the opening of the Leukaemia Foundation's first regional office which provides services to blood cancer patients in Port Lincoln and surrounds.
She said she felt humbled by the award but said it is for the whole community to enjoy.
"I feel I'm representing all of the lower Eyre Peninsula - it's not just about me, it's about the hard work everyone has contributed," she said.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S CITIZEN OF THE YEAR 2016 DEBRA CAMPBELL District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula Debra has fought her blood cancer diagnosis for 12 years. In that time, she has raised more than $180,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation's new Foundation Village, which has 15 apartments for people who need to relocate to Adelaide for treatment. One of these apartments has been named the "Spirit of Eyre Peninsula" after Debra's efforts.
OUR STATE'S MOST OUTSTANDING CITIZENS SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S YOUNG CITIZENS OF THE YEAR 2016 EBONI FRANKEL Berri Barmera Council Eboni is an active leader in both her school and her local community. She is a proud Gunditjimara woman and a role model for other young indigenous women. She was elected to student representative positions at Glossop High School, where she played netball and represented the Riverland in a state carnival. She participated in volunteer community work which included work for Rotary and Relay for Life.
BIANCA BILSBOROW City of Salisbury Bianca is a passionate contributor to her community where she has volunteered for various causes including Salisbury's Rotaract Club - where she raised money for a number of causes including White Ribbon and Daffodil Day - the Twelve25 Salisbury Youth Enterprise Centre, the midnight basketball program for at-risk youth and the Salisbury Youth Council.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR 2016 FESTIVAL FLEURIEU District Council of Yankalilla Festival Fleurieu is a nine-day event across the Yankalilla Region that has a range of visitor experiences, including 90 eclectic events in 50 venues. The event showcases the best of the region to create a greater awareness of the region. More than 20,000 people visited during the festival.
SIDE SHOW ALLEY City of Port Lincoln To celebrate Mental Health Week, West Coast Youth Services co-ordinated a circus-themed "Side Show Alley" on the Port Lincoln Foreshore. The event was free, fun and informative and included yoga, meditation, art sessions and several community walks.
THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION'S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES AWARD 2016 QASEM BAHMANZADAH POORAKA At aged 19, Qasem has already completed his final year of a Bachelor of Aviation. It is a remarkable achievement given he arrived in Australia as a refugee from Afghanistan with no possessions and he did not know how to speak English. He has been an Ambassador for the Australian Refugees Association.
2016 RECIPIENT FOR WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY AWARD TARA FATEHI Dernacourt Born into a Kurdish family in war torn Kurdistan, Tara fled her homeland to Australia at the age of three. After migrating to Australia, Tara was determined to give back to her community. A PhD student, she is studying medicine and founded the Adelaide Kurdish Youth Society.Source: Australia Day Awards 2016