Chasing a childhood dream

Midwife Nicole Holland shares her memories of growing up in and around Doncaster Royal Infirmary and what the hospital means to her.

Throughout my lifetime, it has seemed as though both Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI) and I have grown in tandem.

As a child I lived on Lakeen Road, a quiet suburb of trimmed hedgerows, red brick walls and the beneficent presence of the hospital’s South Block just off in the distance – a constant in our lives and a prominent figure in our daily routines.

DRI wasn’t just a local landmark but a living, breathing place. Always bustling with activity and excitement to us kids, it was the place where some of our parents worked; it was also the environment which dutifully cared for ailing relatives and, of equal importance, the one-stop destination for penny sweets and treats.

Like my siblings, I was born at DRI, and could see the Women’s Hospital from my bedroom. I remember being fascinated by doctors who could be spotted as they sat in the recreation room. A snapshot of a very different time, they would be sat in deep leather armchairs and sofas, wearing their enormous white coats and smoking endless cigarettes or pipes between ward rounds!

As I grew up, and the hospital expanded further into the surrounding grounds, friends and I would cut through towards Thorne Road to catch the bus. A well-run scenario, we would dash past the morgue, exchanging frightened glances before stopping for a quick go on the climbing frame outside the Children’s Department and on to our next destination.

Now a parent myself and still living nearby I am a Midwife at DRI. My formative years and companionship of the hospital gave way to a passion for the local NHS and I’m now a proud member of Team DBTH and happily helping to bring littles ones into the world.

At the Trust we deliver around 5,000 babies each and every year and you don’t often get much time to rest. However, when I do, I sometimes think back to my childhood and that little girl peering through the bedroom window at the very building I now work in. I often wonder, are there any other local youngsters in nearby houses watching-on, finding the inspiration that so motivated me into my profession? I truly hope so.

As the NHS turns 70 years old, I’ve just discovered that Doncaster Royal Infirmary will celebrate its 150th birthday and I feel absolutely privileged to be, in some small way, a part of that long-standing tradition and legacy and wish it many happy years to come.

Nicola Holland,
Midwife at DBTH