I am a Nurse and Midwife and have been for over 40 years. I was born on a farm in Donkerhoek, in what was then, the Eastern Transvaal of South Africa. My Grandmother delivered me, and I was always fascinated by the calm and matter of fact way she talked about the babies she had delivered, as she had no formal midwifery training! This sparked my fascination with birth, and I spent many many hours watching the farm animals give birth. Initially I wanted to help animals and become a veterinary nurse. The sad truth however is that animals cannot talk and tell you what is wrong with them. Understanding this was a pivotal moment that led me in a different direction, I decided to become a Nurse and Midwife. I trained in London, my nursing training at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington and my midwifery at Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital. I have since worked in many different countries - the UK, South Africa, Swaziland, New Zealand and, since the early 2000's, Australia. I have enjoyed working in remote and rural environments, as well as the larger centres. It has been my absolute privilege to have shared the journey of many people as they both enter and leave this life. I presently work at the Mater Private Hospital in the Redlands near Brisbane as a nurse and midwife. I also found the time to marry and have four wonderful adult children, plus five grandchildren, and live on the Brisbane Bayside in Queensland, Australia.