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NaijaSubway Honorable Of The Week.
NaijaSubway Honorable of the Week (Diaspora) – Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu (DBE CBE FRCN FQNI PhD).
Triumph. Inspirational. Epitome of Perseverance. – She fought and won, an inspiration to many, and a reference to the philosophy of life.
The UK’s very first sickle cell and thalassemia nurse specialist.
Born in Birmingham, West Midlands England in 1947. An Irish/Nigerian who takes pride in her heritage. In the year 1963 at age 16, a young Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu joined the NHS as a school Nurse Assistant in Wolverhampton, England.
Inspired at an early age to pick up Nursing by a wonderful Nursing Nun who gracefully treated her childhood eczema whilst she was in care.
Elizabeth significantly invested most of her life into her work as a Nurse, health expert, tutor, lecturer and currently an Emeritus Professor of Nursing at the University of West London, England.
She also finds joy in working with the black and minority ethnic communities in London by promoting the values of black heritage. In her words “People from diverse cultures are not always valued and still sometimes just seen as problems”.
In 1979 – she helped to establish in Brent, the first nurse-led UK Sickle & Thalassemia Screening and Counselling Centre.
In 1988 – she was awarded a PhD from the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL).
Between 1990 and 1997 – she worked at the Institute of Child Health, UCL as a Lecturer then she became a Senior Lecturer in Community Genetic Counselling.
She is an author of many books and a co-author with Professor Karl Atkin of the book “The Politics of Sickle Cell & Thalassemia” published in 2001 by the Open University Press.
In November 2003 – Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu became the vice-chairperson of The Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal when it was launched. Mary Seacole (pioneering nurse and heroine of the Crimean War) statue was unveiled in the grounds of London’s St Thomas’ Hospital in June 2016.
Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu is now a Life Patron of the new charity, the Mary Seacole Trust.
Following her retirement, she was awarded with emeritus professor of nursing at the University of West London.
In 2010 – she was inducted into the Nursing Time Hall of fame for dedication to development of Nurse led services.
23rd February 2017 – She became a Dame (When a woman is “Knighted” in England she is referred to as “Dame.)
She is a champion of social justice, a leader and a living legend.
It is our delight to pick her as our Honorable of the week and we hope her journey will inspire the generations to come.
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