Elizabeth Anionwu

"I sensed that this was a kind, caring woman who wanted to avoid hurting me. And then I discovered she was something called a nurse and I thought, nurse, I like the idea of that."

"That’s when I decided I wanted to be a nurse and I never changed my mind at all."

"During that time, I retained links with community nursing, but also with acute nursing by having a clinical link in an NHS Trust on a ward involved with the care of patients with sickle cell disease."

"Because it was an innovative position, seen as pioneering at the time, I could actually develop quite a lot of it in the way that fitted my ideals of multidisciplinary activity."

"I’ve always enjoyed working in a multidisciplinary context and very much in alignment with patients and their families."

"Up until a couple of decades ago probably, sickle cell was very marginalised and quite neglected in terms of its status, if you like, within the hierarchy of illnesses."

"That has changed. There’s still work to be done, of course, but I’m delighted that nurses have played their role along with other professionals and families to ensure that the disease is fully understood, and treatment is available across the country."

"I’m one of the patrons of The Sickle Cell Society, the national charity, so I am constantly aware that there are still areas that need to be improved, where there’s been, sadly, for example, a couple of deaths that shouldn’t have happened."