News

91-year-old nurse reunited with patient more than 60 years on

Bill Douglas tracked down retired ward sister Margaret Ancell to thank her for saving his life when he was a baby
Margaret McInroy

A 91-year-old nurse has been reunited with a patient she provided life-saving care to more than 60 years ago.


Margaret McInroy (nee Ancell)

 

Bill Douglas tracked down retired ward sister Margaret Ancell, now Margaret McInroy, to thank her for caring for him in Dundee Royal Infirmary when he was a sick newborn baby.

He was determined to trace her after reading about her marriage in a newspaper cutting kept by his late parents.

Happy reunion

After some detective work and a nerve-wracking phone call to Ms McInroy, he surprisingly found that she remembered him and had even kept a photograph of him from their time together in the 1950s.

Ms McInroy said: ‘I often thought about him over the years. I'm so glad he got in touch.’

Mr Douglas, 66, who will be reunited with the nurse in person later this month, added: ‘There's no doubt about it, she saved my life.’

Infant emergency

He was just a few days old when he was taken to the hospital in 1950 for emergency care and was refusing to feed.

He was kept at the hospital for five months and was fed via a tube, with his care supervised by the then Ms Ancell.

Doctors were never able to diagnose his condition and his parents were told he would die as a baby.

He struggled with bad health for the first two years of his life, including a stomach haemorrhage, before his condition made a dramatic improvement.

Eternal gratitude

Mr Douglas said: ‘My family always said they put my survival down to the nursing I got while in Dundee, especially from sister Ancell.’

He was able to track her down to her Yorkshire home through a former neighbour.

They had a ‘remarkably emotional’ phone conversation, according to Mr Douglas.

Ms McInroy said: ‘I got quite attached to baby Bill and I even kept a picture from all those years ago.’ 

Jobs