Elizabeth Anionwu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu
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| Born |
Elizabeth Mary Furlong
2 July 1947 Birmingham, England
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| Known for | Nurse, lecturer, administrator |
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Notable work
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Dreams From My Mother (2021) |
| Children | Azuka Oforka (daughter) |
| Parents |
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| Awards | Order of Merit, Pride of Britain Awards Lifetime Achievement Award (2019) |
Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu (born Elizabeth Mary Furlong; 2 July 1947) is a British nurse, teacher, and leader in healthcare. She is an Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London. This means she is a retired professor who still holds her title because of her great contributions.
In 1979, Elizabeth Anionwu became the first nurse in the United Kingdom to specialize in sickle-cell and thalassemia. These are genetic blood conditions. She helped create the Brent Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Counselling Centre. In 1998, she started the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice at the University of West London.
She has received many important awards. These include the Order of Merit and being appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). She retired in 2007. In 2016, she wrote her life story, called Mixed Blessings from a Cambridge Union.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu was born in Birmingham, England. Her mother was from Ireland, and her father was from Nigeria. Her mother, Mary Maureen Furlong, was studying at Newnham College at Cambridge University. Her father, Lawrence Anionwu, was also studying law at Cambridge University.
Elizabeth's childhood was not always easy. She moved between different homes and institutions. For some years, she lived in a Catholic children's home cared for by nuns.
She faced difficult experiences during her childhood. Later in life, as a health visitor, she made sure to learn about kinder ways to help children with similar issues. When she was almost 25, she found her father, Lawrence Anionwu. He was a lawyer and had been Nigeria's Ambassador to Italy and the Vatican. She often visited Nigeria and later changed her last name to Anionwu.
Family Connections
Elizabeth Anionwu has said that her father, Lawrence Anionwu, was the first person to give her career advice. He was a barrister (a type of lawyer) and a diplomat.
Elizabeth Anionwu has a daughter named Azuka Oforka, who is an actress.
A Career in Nursing
Elizabeth Anionwu started her nursing journey because of a kind nursing nun. This nun cared for her eczema when Elizabeth was only four years old. At 16, she finished school and began working as a school nurse assistant in Wolverhampton.
She continued her education to become a qualified nurse, a health visitor, and a tutor. She traveled to the United States to learn about counselling for sickle-cell and thalassemia. This was because there were no such courses in the UK at that time.
In 1979, she worked with Dr. Milica Brozovic. Together, they opened the first nurse-led centre in the UK for screening and counselling people with sickle-cell and thalassemia. This centre was in London Borough of Brent. Over 30 similar centres in the UK later used the Brent Centre as their guide.
From 1990 to 1997, Elizabeth Anionwu taught at the Institute of Child Health at University College London. She later became a senior lecturer. She taught a course for National Health Service (NHS) staff. This course helped them work with communities affected by conditions like sickle-cell disease and thalassemia.
Elizabeth Anionwu became the dean of the School of Adult Nursing Studies and a Professor of Nursing at University of West London. There, she created the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice. She retired from this role in 2007.
In 2001, she co-wrote a book called The Politics of Sickle Cell and Thalassemia. She also became a Trustee for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal in 2003. In 2005, she wrote A Short History of Mary Seacole. After the statue was revealed in 2016, Elizabeth Anionwu became a Life Patron of the Mary Seacole Trust.
She also led several projects for the NHS Sickle and Thalassaemia Screening Programme. These projects helped create guidelines for nurses caring for people with these conditions.
Elizabeth Anionwu is also a supporter of other important groups:
- Sickle Cell Society
- Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association UK
- Vice President of Unite/Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association
- Honorary Advisor to England's Chief Nursing Officer's Black & Minority Ethnic Strategic Advisory Group
Awards and Special Honors
Elizabeth Anionwu has received many awards for her amazing work.
- In 2001, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to nursing.
- In 2004, she became a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing (FRCN). This was for creating the sickle-cell and thalassemia counselling centre.
- After she retired in 2007, she was named an Emeritus Professor for Nursing at the University of West London.
In 2010, she was added to the Nursing Times Nursing Hall of Fame. This recognized her dedication to creating nurse-led services. She also received the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from Divas of Colour.
In 2017, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This was for her services to nursing and her work with the Mary Seacole Statue Appeal. In October 2017, she also received a Fellowship from the Queen's Nursing Institute.
In 2019, the University of St Andrews gave her an honorary Doctor of Science degree. This was for her big contributions to nursing, research, and campaigning. She also received an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University in the same year.
At the Pride of Britain Awards in October 2019, Elizabeth Anionwu received the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognized her passion for nursing and her work to reduce health differences. The famous singer Janet Jackson presented her with the award.
On 31 May 2020, she was featured on the radio show Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4. Later that year, on 23 November, she was named one of the BBC's 100 Women (BBC).
In 2022, she became a member of the Order of Merit. This is a very special award given by the King or Queen for outstanding service.
In May 2023, she took part in the Royal procession at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla. She carried the Sovereign's Orb, a symbol of royal power.
See also
