Remembering an exceptional woman

These past weeks of the Government’s data overload may have numbed us to the stories that lie behind the large numbers affected by Covid-19; including those families dealing with bereavement and experiencing the shock of a loved one suddenly passing away.

COVID-19 has affected so many of us that it's hard to carry on in this so-called "new normality" without acknowledging and sharing our stories.

Today we'd like to introduce a fundraiser that financial controller Chika Anisiobi's family has set up to raise money for NICE (Conductive Education Foundation). NICE provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care and the organisation looked after Chika's mum after she had her first stroke.

In this article Chika's brother J.J, explains his relationship with his mum, the shock that Covid-19 had after sadly claiming the life of their mother and how they are still dealing with not being able to say goodbye.

We spoke to Chika about her mum’s life story and the importance of midwives in our society.

Why did your mum start working as a midwife?

Mum went to mission schools as a girl and teenager growing up in Zimbabwe. Many of the missionaries were medical people and seeing the good that they did inspired her to do the same. There was a shortage of medically trained midwives and she loved babies, so it was a natural fit.

Where did she work for those 24 years?

Mum started her training at St Francis Mission in Zambia. Then some of the missionaries brought her to the UK. We believe she worked in London for a short time, before heading to Sorrento Maternity Home in Birmingham for formalised midwifery training. Mum spent the rest of her life working in the maternity units of Midlands hospitals, notably Corbett Hospital in Stourbridge, Rosemary Ednam in Dudley (for approximately 10 years), and Wordsley Hospital in Stourbridge (for approximately 10 years). Sadly all those UK hospitals were closed over the years.

Are there any particular stories about your mother's job that stand out for you?

Mum loved to tell stories of the joy of her job. Many people (wives and partners) came in scared, and left as life long friends. One story stands out for me. A much older husband was presumed to be the grandad of the baby, by other members of staff. He threatened to sue the hospital. My mum managed to talk him down. She became god mother to his two sons, and he became her (long-suffering) driving instructor. After 5 attempts she passed and when I called to say she had died he regaled me with this tale.

Having only recently truly appreciated the amazing work that midwives do when my daughter was born, I realise what a huge impact they have on people's lives. I'm sure your mother impacted on the lives on many mothers and babies - are there any ones that really stayed with her?

Mum had many friends who began as her patients. She would sometimes be late to take us to school after a night shift because she liked to see a labour through to the end, and people appreciated this extra kindness. Every Christmas she received photo updates and cards. We could never take her shopping without stopping every few minutes as another passer-by asked if she remembered them, or to say that one of "her babies" was now a graduate, or a parent, or even a grandparent!

If you would like to join their cause and donate, you can do it the JustGiving platform: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/josie-anisiobi