Catherine Hamlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catherine Hamlin
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Hamlin in 2009
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| Born |
Elinor Catherine Nicholson
24 January 1924 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 18 March 2020 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | Australian, Ethiopian |
| Occupation | Obstetrician |
| Awards | Right Livelihood Award |
Elinor Catherine Hamlin (born 24 January 1924 – died 18 March 2020) was an Australian doctor who specialized in helping women with childbirth injuries. With her husband, Reginald Hamlin, she started the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. This hospital is special because it's the only one in the world dedicated to giving free surgery to poor women who suffer from a serious injury called obstetric fistula after giving birth.
Catherine Hamlin was known as a leader in treating obstetric fistula. She developed new ways to help women with this condition. Together, the Hamlins and their hospital staff have helped more than 60,000 women. She passed away in Addis Ababa in 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Catherine Hamlin, whose maiden name was Elinor Catherine Nicholson, grew up in Ryde, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. She was one of six children. She went to Frensham School and then studied medicine at the University of Sydney, finishing in 1946.
After her studies, she worked at different hospitals. In 1950, she married Reginald Hamlin, a doctor from New Zealand.
The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital
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In 1958, the Hamlins saw an advertisement from the Ethiopian government looking for doctors to start a midwifery school in Addis Ababa. They moved there in 1959 with their six-year-old son, Richard.
At that time, obstetric fistulas were very rare in countries like Australia. But in Ethiopia, the Hamlins saw many women suffering from this injury. They decided to open a special hospital just for these women. In 1974, they founded the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, which was the first modern hospital of its kind in the world.
Because many women lived far from the main hospital, Catherine Hamlin opened five more treatment centers in different parts of Ethiopia between 2003 and 2010. These hospitals are in Bahir Dar, Mekele, Yirgalem, Harar, and Mettu. The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and these five regional centers have helped over 60,000 patients.
Catherine Hamlin lived on the hospital grounds and continued to work there every day until she died in 2020. Her husband, Reg Hamlin, was also very involved until his death in 1993.
Helping Women and Preventing Fistulas
Catherine Hamlin believed that training more midwives was the best way to stop obstetric fistulas from happening. She said that if every village had a well-trained midwife, these injuries would soon disappear.
In 2007, she started the Hamlin College of Midwives. This college gives full scholarships to students from rural areas. After four years of study, these midwives go back to their communities to help women. By 2019, 170 midwives had graduated from the college. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia also works with the Ethiopian government to provide midwives to 80 government clinics across the country.
Hamlin also wanted to help women recover fully after surgery. In 2002, she opened Desta Mender, which means 'Joy Village' in Amharic. This center is about 10 kilometers from the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. It has houses for patients who need long-term care. At Desta Mender, women can learn to read and write, get counseling, and learn new skills to help them start new lives.
Recognition and Awards
Catherine Hamlin received many awards and honors for her amazing work. She was given honorary memberships in medical groups in Australia, England, and the United States.
In Australia, she received the Order of Australia twice, first as a Member in 1983 and then as a Companion in 1995, which is Australia's highest honor. In 2001, she received the Centenary Medal.
Her book, The Hospital by the River: A Story of Hope, became a best-seller. A famous writer from The New York Times called her a "modern-day Mother Teresa."
Catherine Hamlin appeared on Oprah Winfrey's TV show in 2004 and again in 2005. A documentary called "A Walk to Beautiful" in 2007 showed the stories of five Ethiopian women who were helped by Hamlin and her team.
In 2009, she received the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes called the "Alternative Nobel Prize." In 2011, she had lunch with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in Australia.
In 2016, a Sydney Ferries boat in Australia was named Catherine Hamlin in her honor.
In 2019, she celebrated 60 years since she first arrived in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, gave her the special Eminent Citizen Award, an honor given to only a few people. Catherine Hamlin always said that she loved her work in Ethiopia and that helping these women was not a hardship for her.
Images for kids
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The Sydney ferry Catherine Hamlin
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See also
In Spanish: Catherine Hamlin para niños
