Gloria Hanley was just 18 years old when she left the Caribbean to begin her “inspiring” life in England. She was presented with the opportunity to study midwifery so left her family and life behind in a bid to pursue her dreams.
This move would result in the now 72-year-old Gloria touching the lives of hundreds of families in Leeds. Her journey was tainted with racism from all areas but her story is now being celebrated through an exhibition in the Leeds City Museum, revealed LeedsLive.
Born in St Kitts in the West Indies, Gloria faced racism from both patients and other NHS staff during her early career. She wasn’t able to challenge these comments but continued to work hard, spurred by her passion for helping others.
In a BBC interview, Gloria said: "I moved up to Leeds and boom, this is where I saw racism. Wherever racism is, people should be bold enough to speak out against it." Bigotry ran so deep that even at the birth of their children, parents would be racist.
Speaking about one example at work, Gloria added: "I was called to a room to deliver a lady and I entered the room, she was in bed, and of course in labour. She was in established labour and her husband was sat with her.
“So I greeted them and as my back was turned to them I could hear them whispering and when I turned around, ready to do the delivery, the husband said to me 'don't touch my wife'. Well that shocked me, I said, 'pardon?'. He said 'I don't want you to touch my wife, we've come over here to get away from the likes of you and here you are wanting to put your black hands on my wife.”
Undeterred, Gloria continued her career as a midwife and worked for the NHS for 54 years. Three decades of that was spent as a community midwife at St James' University Hospital in Harehills, Leeds.
Speaking about Gloria's impact, Gilly Foster shared how Gloria helped her when she lost her baby. Gilly said: "August 6th 1993, I lost my baby, and I was just past 5 months pregnant, it was the most horrific experience of my life.
"I returned home on the next day and there was a knock at the door and it was Gloria, she had been notified that I had been discharged. I will never forget the words that Gloria said to me and my husband.
"She said, 'I will go away if you want me to, but you are still a mother, and I have come to see you'. Gloria realised that although I had lost my baby, I still needed support with what was going to happen next.
"She visited me for months after, calling in to make sure that I was OK and just simply being there for me. I always made sure that I had a cuppa and chocolate biscuits ready. Gloria loves a biscuit. Gloria, you made such a difference in my life at such a sad time."
For Gloria, supporting her community expanded beyond the precious job of delivering babies. While she cared deeply for her patients she also conducted work in local communities and was an advocate for black women’s health throughout her career.
Gloria was so dedicated to nursing that she became chair of the Mary Seacole Nurses Association, which honours the Jamaican-British nurse Mary Seacole who worked during the Crimean War. Outside the NHS, Gloria also had a seat as a magistrate on the Leeds Bench but it is her compassion and kindness as a midwife most Leeds residents remember.
Claire Flannery said: "Gloria was mine and my sister's midwife. We lived on Banstead street in Harehills until I was six and I remember her when my sister was born. I'm a midwife now and work at St James and LGI, I've picked up some good tips."
Another patient, Carol Davis, added: "Gloria was my midwife with my son Aidan. What an incredible woman she was to us. You don't get many like her." The compliments for Gloria kept rolling in with Julie Wilby calling her a "truly inspirational lady who gave so much" to her job.
Gloria shared her life story in her book Everybody’s Midwife, which is a diary of her work in Leeds. She wrote another book with her journey from the Caribbean to England and often conducts educational presentations and hosts workshops.
The exhibition, A City and its Welcome: Three Centuries of Migrating to Leeds, features Gloria’s midwifery bag, ID badge and her hat. Leeds City Museum hopes to celebrate the stories of those who travelled from their homeland and helped shape the city.
