The Throat Cancer Foundation is proud to announce the appointment of Yvonne McClaren to our Clinical Advisory Team, where she will play a leading role in helping to support and advise people affected by dysphagia and the eating and drinking challenges that can follow throat cancer treatment. Whether for themselves or a loved one.
Yvonne brings with her a rare and invaluable blend of lived experience and professional expertise. Diagnosed with oropharyngeal (tonsil) cancer in 2018, Yvonne underwent extensive treatment, including the removal of a third of her tongue, both tonsils, 30 lymph nodes, and a gruelling course of chemo and radiotherapy. She was unable to eat orally for 15 months and was reliant on a feeding tube – a deeply isolating experience for someone who had always loved food and the joy of sharing meals.
Yvonne refused to accept the loss of eating as a way of life. Through determination, creativity, and sheer grit, she taught herself to eat again. Today, she is a fierce advocate for people with swallowing difficulties, championing the importance of not only safe eating, but joyful eating. She is a commensality advocate and tongue in cheek calls herself the “Commensality Queen”.
As the founder of GAG | eating life (Good As it Gets), a growing international platform and subscription-based newsletter, Yvonne shares honest reflections, practical strategies, and compelling storytelling about the social, emotional and nutritional aspects of eating with dysphagia. Her mission is simple yet profound: to help people rediscover their identity and confidence at the table after head and neck cancer.
Professionally, Yvonne is a consultant, speaker and author, contributing her insights to organisations including Nutricia’s (Danone) Oncology Reference Group and the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) Australian Reference Group. Her work bridges the gap between evidence-based best practice and lived experience, pushing healthcare professionals to rethink how they support patients beyond the clinical checklist.
Yvonne has also developed a suite of practical, food focused downloadable resources, available via her website, for use in both clinical and home care settings. These tools are designed to enhance understanding of the social and emotional impacts of dysphagia, support person-centred care planning, and ensure commensality is top of mind even in the most complex situations.
Originally from Adelaide, South Australia, Yvonne has held senior roles in the not-for-profit sector and has lived and worked across Asia and Australia. She is also an avid thru-hiker, yogi, gardener and passionate cook, with a wicked sense of humour and a deep love for food and wine.
Yvonne’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the Throat Cancer Foundation. Her input will be vital in shaping resources, campaigns and clinical guidance to ensure that no one living with dysphagia feels overlooked or alone.
Because eating is more than nutrition – it’s identity, connection, and dignity.
To find out more about Yvonne, please click here. https://yvonnemcclaren.com/
