Elizabeth Mary Furlong
Anionwu began her nursing career inspired by a nun who cared for her eczema. At the age of 16, she left school with seven O- levels and started to work as a school nurse assistant in Wolverhampton. She continued with education to become a nurse, health visitor, and tutor. She travelled to the United States to study counselling for Sickle cell and thalassemia centres as courses were not then available in the UK. In 1979 she worked with Dr Milica Brozovic to create the first UK sickle cell and thalassemia counselling centre in London Borough of Brent. This was the first of over 30 centres in the UK using the Brent Centre as a model.
1947
Birmingham, UK
British-Nigerian
1990 – She was a lecturer at the Institute of Child Health, University College London, later promoted to senior lecturer.
Anionwu was appointed dean of the School of Adult Nursing Studies and a Professor of Nursing at University of West London. Here she created the Mary Seacol Centre for Nursing Practice at the University of West London, retiring in 2007.
2001 – Anionwu, along with Professor Atkin, wrote The Politics of Sickle Cell and Thalassemia.
2005 she wrote A Short History of Mary Seacole.
2003 she became a Trustee and subsequently Vice-Chairperson of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal. Following the unveiling of the statue at St Thomas’ Hospital in June 2016 she was appointed a Life Patron of the Mary Seacole Trust
Anionwu is also a Patron of other charities
2019 – Pride of Britain Awards Lifetime Achievement Award
Her upbringing had been heavily affected by moving between institutions and family. She spent just over two years living with her mother, a relationship that ended when her stepfather, who did not accept her and drank heavily, started to physically abuse her. She was placed in a Catholic children’s home where she was cared for by nuns, including several years in the Nazareth House convent in Birmingham.
Often harshly punished and humiliated for wetting the bed, she remembers being made to stand with a urine-soaked sheet over her head as a punishment for wetting the bed. Following an unsettled childhood she qualified as a nurse, then health visitor. Shortly before her 25th birthday she suddenly found her father. He was a barrister and former Nigerian Ambassador to Italy and the Vatican, Lawrence Anionwu. She was to visit Nigeria frequently and later changed her surname to Anionwu
2001 – Anionwu was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Birthday Honours for her services to nursing.
2004 – she was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing (FRCN) for developing the sickle-cell and thalassemia counselling centre.
2007- following her retirement, she was appointed Emeritus Professor for Nursing at the University of West London.
2010 – she was inducted into the Nursing Times Nursing Hall of Fame for the dedication to the Development of Nurse-led Services.
2015 –Lifetime Achievement Award on Divas of Colour.
2017 – Anionwu was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the New Year Honours for services to nursing.
2017 – The Mary Seacole Statue Appeal. Anionwu was awarded a Fellowship of the Queen’s Nursing Institute.
2019 – In recognition of Anionwu’s major contribution to nursing, research and campaigning, the University of St Andrews conferred on her the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa.
2019 – she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University, in recognition of her major contribution to the nursing profession.
2019 – At the Pride of Britain Awards, Anionwu received the Lifetime Achievement Award, “in recognition of her passion for nursing and dedication to reducing health inequalities”, the presentation was made by Janet Jackson.
2020 – Anionwu was the subject of an episode of Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4.
2020 – She was on the list of the BBC’s 100 Women (BBC) announced on 23 November.
Lawrence Anionwu and Mary Maureen Furlong
Children – Azuka Oforka
Links to wider Resources: https://www.elizabethanionwu.co.uk/about-me/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Anionwu
https://www.rcn.org.uk/magazines/bulletin/2020/june/in-conversation-with-dame-elizabeth-anionwu
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