Causing a stir

摘要

Elizabeth Anionwu isn't afraid to challenge authority. In her student days in the 1960s, her inquisitive and - by her own admission - 'mouthy' nature almost ended her dreams of being a health visitor before she even got started. But, of course, she was asking the right questions even then - something she has continued to do throughout her career. Born in Birmingham to an Irish mother and Nigerian father, Elizabeth always knew she wanted to move down to the big city of London and become a nurse; but hers was never going to be an ordinary career. After a stint as a health visitor and spurred on by a gap in her own knowledge, Elizabeth spearheaded the launch of the first sickle cell and thalassaemia counselling service in Brent in 1979 - a condition she has continued to raise awareness and campaign about for many years.