A ray of sunshine

Another bitty sort of day, so you have another picture from the archive. It was taken Christmas’68. I had moved back to the children’s medical ward, having left the Midwifery / GP unit. In those days it was the norm to do blocks of 6 months experience as a staff nurse before being appointed as a ward sister. Matron wanted me to take a night sisters post but I declined her offer, as I knew that a senior staff nurse post on the children’s ward had become vacant. She was non too pleased, but nights at that point in time didn’t suit my social life!!! She knew that I had other options if I didn’t get my own way so she agreed!!! 

This young man in blue, Andrew B, came to reside with us on the ward for many months. He was admitted from clinic as a very poorly baby. Investigations were being done as he was with foster parents who were planning to adopt him. In view of his condition they were not allowed to do so, very upsetting for them. 

It transpired later that I had already met Andrew when he was born at the midwifery unit that I’d just left. His parents were lovely, very young and not married, and in those day most babies born to unmarried mothers were given up for adoption. In this case very reluctantly given up, at the insistence of her parents. When you stayed in hospital for 10 days after delivery, it was very hard for these mum’s to go home alone.

Andrew thrived with us and was well, although he had haemophilia and his future was bleak. We made his life as happy as possible giving extra attention, so important when you don’t have a mum or dad to visit you. All of the nurses were ‘mammy’ to him and at visiting time he would be taken off to join in with whatever tasks were being done. A favourite of his was watching the laundry being put away in the store room. He would sit in his baby chair listening to the chat and the singing. 

He was still on the ward when I later moved on to a day sister’s post in the same hospital. I saw him intermittently when my staff nurse friend, Paddy, used to appear at the ward, check that it was ok to come in and handed him over to me with a ‘go and see mammy’!!! Both he and I were delighted. The men on the ward were initially surprised, but loved to see him, talk to him and give him hugs.  It was an introduction to ‘men’, a strange species to Andrew!!! 

A year or so later I travelled  to Bristol with 3 nursing friends to visit him in a children’s home. He was doing well, but it was so sad to leave him. I would like to think that these days, societie’s norms would allow more compassionate care of these children, both Andrew and his mum.