Dorothy Price facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Stopford Price
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Dorothy Price at Meath Hospital
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| Born |
Dorothy Stopford
9 September 1890 Dublin, Ireland
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| Died | 30 January 1954 (aged 63) Dublin, Ireland
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | BCG Vaccine |
Dorothy Stopford Price (born September 9, 1890 – died January 30, 1954) was an important Irish doctor. She helped get rid of childhood tuberculosis (a serious lung disease) in Ireland. She did this by bringing in the BCG vaccine.
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Growing Up in Ireland and London
Eleanor Dorothy Stopford was born on September 9, 1890, in Dublin, Ireland. Her father, Jemmett Stopford, was a civil servant. Her mother was Constance Kennedy. Dorothy had three siblings: Alice, Edie, and Robert.
When her father died in 1902, her family faced financial difficulties. They had to sell their home and moved to London, England.
Dorothy lived through big historical events. These included two World Wars and the Spanish Flu pandemic. She also saw the 1916 Rising in Ireland and the start of a new Irish state. She grew up feeling connected to the British Empire. But after the 1916 Rising, she started to support Irish nationalism. Her diary from Easter 1916 is kept in the Irish National Library.
Dorothy's Education Journey
Dorothy first studied social science. She also passed an exam to study Art and Design. But she decided not to go to art college.
Instead, at age 25, she chose to study medicine. She attended Trinity College Dublin from 1916 to 1921. She earned her medical degrees in 1921. During her training, she worked at the Meath Hospital in Dublin. She helped patients during the terrible Spanish Flu outbreak. She even performed autopsies (medical examinations after death) at night.
A Doctor's Career and Fighting TB
After becoming a doctor, Dorothy worked in Kilbrittain, County Cork. She also helped injured members of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence. Later, during the Irish Civil War, she supported the Republican side. She joined Cumann na mBan, a women's group, and taught first aid.
Dorothy's biggest achievements were in fighting tuberculosis (TB). She first saw the serious effects of TB when her aunt's husband died from it.
In 1923, she returned to Dublin. She started working at Saint Ultan's Children's Hospital as a visiting doctor. This job was unpaid. Dorothy began to research and write about TB, especially how it affected children. After visiting Vienna in 1931, she started using the tuberculin test. This test helped diagnose TB.
She became very interested in the BCG vaccine. This vaccine could protect people from TB. Her research showed that many young people in Ireland were at risk of getting TB. She wanted Irish people, especially young nurses, to get vaccinated.
In 1949, Dorothy Price became the first chairperson of the Irish National BCG Committee. She even learned German to read German medical books about TB. She wrote a book called Tuberculosis in Childhood in 1939. She also became a member of the Red Cross Anti-TB committee.
Her hard work was recognized. The Health Minister, Noel Browne, made her Chairman of a special council on TB. Together, they opened a BCG vaccination center at St Ultan’s Hospital.
Dorothy's research, publications, and efforts to introduce TB testing and vaccination were crucial. They helped end the serious TB problem in Ireland in the mid-20th century.
Personal Life
Dorothy Stopford married William George "Liam" Price in 1925. Liam was a lawyer and local historian. Their marriage surprised some people. Dorothy had different political views than Liam.
They lived in Fitzwilliam Place in Dublin. Liam Price later wrote about his wife's fight against TB in 1955.
Later Life and Legacy
Dorothy suffered a stroke in January 1950. She passed away on January 30, 1954, at age 63, after another stroke. She was buried in St Maelruen's graveyard in Tallaght.
Medical professor Victor Millington Synge praised her work. He said that Dorothy Price deserved the most credit for bringing modern ways to prevent TB to Ireland. He noted that many thousands of children and young people were saved from illness because of her. Her professional papers are kept in the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
Images for kids
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Dorothy Price at Meath Hospital
