Page 28 - Card Photo Flipbook-December 2022

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In the fall of 1957 Helen left home to train in nursing at Toronto Western Hospital. In addition,
the world entered the “space age” that fall when Russia launched Sputnik 1. Helen lived in a
residence room located in the attic of a house on Roseberry Avenue. This street and the
houses are no longer there – replaced by a parking lot just south of TWH.
The class size was large just under 100. Helen was part of a close-knit group. They remained
in contact during the rest of Helen’s life. These included Glenna Nixon (Lane), Mardi McKay
(Denis), Bernace Nute (Walker), Elaine Pitt (Forgo), Gail Plumridge (Redding) and Peggy Tait
(Barton). Peggy became Helen’s Maid of Honour. Bernace recalls “…lying in bed feet up on
the wall for relief and reminiscing about the day’s challenges.”
Helen recalled having patients in the “iron lung.” She recalled doing a placement at the Red
Cross nursing station at Richard's Landing on St. Joseph’s Island. Getting there meant taking
three trains, getting off at a flag stop then taking a ferry to the Island. While as far as we are
aware there is no record of her actual marks, we presume that she got an A+ in bed making
(no longer an accreditation standard, according to Glenna). No one could ever match her
sheet “corners” a fact she would remind the RNs who took care of her recently (with a smile)
of this lost nursing skill. Despite her devotion to studies it’s also now been discovered that the
group also had a wonderful social life and events. Bernace recalls that she and Helen had to
"TP a fellow student's room when that classmate came home after hours". In any event, Helen
obviously did well and graduated with her RN in 1960, proudly receiving the stripe on her cap.
Of note - Sharon continues to make beds with “hospital corners” to this day - sadly she has
not instilled this into her own son. Bob managed to avoid learning this skill.