Nadine Abelson (Mitchell)

Biography

Copyright 2009

nabelsonmitchell@aol.com

I was born on 15 September 1952 and lived in South Africa until 1999.

I spent 7 happy years at H.A. Jack Primary School.  Most days I attended Cheder at Sydenham Highlands North Synagogue. I loved Hebrew. In Standard 5 I decided I wanted to do Hebrew for Matric.  If I had gone to Waverley Cirls High that would have been extremely difficult. The headmaster of the Cheder suggested I go to KDHS. Wow, this was a brilliant suggestion but what about my Hebrew? Before the school term started I had to go to Mrs Amiel?s flat for some sessions!!!. This was nerve wracking but after a few sessions she said I was OK to join KDHS. A new experience entirely.

What do I remember:

• I made good friends. Some of whom I?m in contact with today Ticky Ozen, Maureen Robbins and Avrille Nussbaum. Keeping in touch through Email and SKYPE makes life easy.
• I enjoyed school but hated history.
• Enjoyed maths but I wasn?t very good
• Catching the bus in the freezing cold, standing on Gallaghers Corner or Balfour Park waiting.
• Being late for assembly
• Sitting on the rugby field eating breakfast instead of being in Mr Torbett?s maths class.  Didn?t understand him anyway and was sick of hearing about his motorcycle and Egypt.

I enjoyed school, particularly Biology and Hebrew. I hated the once a year run we had to do to wherevever?

I knew from early on that I wanted to become a nurse. As a little girl I used to paint my dolls with mercurochrome. (Now banned in the UK because of the mercury but still good for wounds.) My family and friends, except for my dad, Harry Abelson (z?l), and one aunt, Miriam Brener (z?l) tried to convince me that nursing was not for a Jewish girl. Nothing would change my mind and I?m pleased that it didn?t.

The early years

I went to Wits from 1970-1974 and obtained a BSC (Nursing). I undertook practicals at the Joburg Gen on weekends and holidays. Quite a sacrifice, when I knew my friends were messing around.  I lost contact with many of my KDHS friends as I worked weekends and had little time for socialising. After obtaining my degree I then completed a Diploma in Midwifery at Wits and the old Queen Vic.  I knew that I wanted to teach so I then undertook a Diploma in Nursing Education at Wits. I worked in ICU at the Gen and did a Diploma in Intensive Care Nursing.  Whilst studying at Wits and working in the hospital I would sometimes bump into others from KDHS who were studying at Med School.

In 1978, I was fortunate to be offered a scholarship from the Rotary Club of Johannesburg South to study overseas.  I was able to retain my job at the Gen and went on secondment.

Why neuro?

In 1965, my first year at KDHS, my dad lost the use of his arms and,  to cut a long story short, went to England to see a surgeon who discovered he had a very rare neuro condition (Arnold Chiari and Syringomyelia).  He did not think he would survive but came back after being desperately ill and undertook an extensive period of rehab at home. In 1969, my matric year, he returned to the UK as his condition deteriorated.  My dad (z?l) lived until he was 83 years.   I know my interest in neuro occurred because I felt indebted to the health team who had enabled his recovery and I knew that this was the area that I would focus on and make a contribution to society.

In the apartheid days the hospitals in London would not accept me as I was South African. I was desperate, but in 1978 I was accepted in Birmingham, UK to undertake a Postgraduate Certificate in Neuromedical and Neurosurgical Nursing. I spent a wonderful 12 months in Birmingham. I remember that as a foreign student I had to carry a pass and when my time expired they came to look for me to check what I was doing next. I?ve still got that pass. I had extended my visa to study in Cambridge. I then went to work at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge. What an amazing experience. Whilst working in the head injuries unit in Cambridge I noticed that the head injured patients made good recoveries. Yet, at home, many of them remained bedridden. I decided, on my return to SA, I would undertake my MSc into head injury rehabilitation.  I returned to SA and the Gen and worked at Wits until 1995.

I started my MSc and in 1985  it was converted to a PhD. The topic ?Rehabilitation of moderate and severe head injuries?.  In 1987 I completed my PhD. This opened many doors and I was able to make a difference to neuroscience care. I have done consultancy work, expert witnessing, written numerous articles, presented papers at national (SA and UK as both are my homes) and international conferences such as Denmark, Holland, Israel and Saudi Arabia.  Whilst in SA I opened a private rehabilitation practice, arranging rehabilitation programmes for patients in hospital and community settings. This was extremely rewarding and resulted in many success stories. Miracles do occur!

I have also completed a postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Administration at UNISA.

Family:

In 1994  I got married to John Mitchell. He was a bank manager at First National Bank who arranged funding for one of the Headway projects (I was Headway chairlady). We met at the function and we have been together since 1987. Since coming to the UK he is in semi-retirement.  We have no kids but great nieces, nephews and great nephews who visit from time to time. We have a cute maltese poodle brought from South Africa.

Currently:

In 1999, for a number of personal reasons, I immigrated to Plymouth in the UK.  3 ½ hours from London, if one is lucky the fast train takes 3 hours.

Plymouth is a great place to live and work. Weather wise I don?t complain. When it is snowing in Manchester and Leeds we often have sunshine, but the wind is something else. Lots of rain, a bit like Port Elizabeth.

I work at the University of Plymouth where I have held a variety of posts in the Faculty of Health. I am actively involved in teaching, research and consultancy. Check out www.plymouth.ac.uk for further information. I have also just written a Chapter in a book for Oxford University Press and I am currently writing a book for Blackwell Wiley on Neurotrauma. 

There is a beautiful Shul in Plymouth built in 1762. It is the oldest Ashkenazi Synagogue in the English speaking Western world.  At the Shul there is a kosher 2 bedroom flat for anyone who is interested in visiting and conducting services (www.plymouthsynagogue.co.uk ).  John is the President and I am a Trustee and run the Cheder.

We live 4 miles from the sea, 2 miles from the moor and 3 miles from Cornwall.  Great for walking and outdoor activities. Reminds me of Cape Town. We visit SA once a year to catch up with family and friends. I always say SA is like a mosquito ? once bitten you know it forever. There are certain favourites that I can?t do without ? lemon creams, ginger nuts and Kola tonic. Kosher food is available form TitanicsThese are available through SA websites in the UK.

We will be in SA for my nephew?s wedding (Cape Town) in March/April 2010.  Would be great to catch up with those in SA.

During the last two years I have been ill and have done some deep soul searching. I write this not for sympathy but to provide support to those who may also find themselves struggling with ill health. Our faith gives me inner strength to survive. At our wedding , in John?s speech, he mentioned 1 +1 =1, ten years later and this still applies. 1 + 1 =1 gives me courage on a daily basis. Thank you John. When I looked around I realise I am the lucky one. Some of my fellow patients would not see the year end. I realised that I needed to be thankful and pray to Hashem for a full and speedy recovery. I wrote to Rebbe Schneerson (z?l), via email, to assist with my prayers and my prayers have been answered. I have learned to pace myself, accept that I am not able to do ALL that I would like to do, but who says? I have been given the all clear and am in remission and live each day to the full.

Thank you to all those who have developed the website and made the renewing of friendships possible.

With warmest regards

Nadine