Nursing Week is the annual celebration of this critical profession. It is held every May to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. This year more than ever we have to be aware of the critical role these health care providers play in Canadian society, as has been true through history. Born in Saskatchewan on August 2, 1919, Helen Louise Kerr was a former nurse who served in WWII. As a child, she lived on a farm with her family, including six siblings, four of whom would serve in the war. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a carpenter and homesteader. Helen was the third child; she grew up during the depression, and went to nursing school when she was older. When the war came, Helen joined the services, and she was sent overseas where she was a nurse following the advance of the Canadian army. First she was stationed in England, and about a month after D-Day she went to the continent, serving in field hospitals in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. While overseas, she met her husband. After the war, they both moved back to Canada and settled down. Please listen to her stories here – https://ohp.crestwood.on.ca/
