The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-01-04, Page 21\•
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Foot in the Furrow .
kRiddell ., ,.
ar.eness Day.... .. , .. .
ertainment
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The head throbs a little and the
stomach refuses to accept . anything
that resembles food. Fatigue had set in
days Wore.
But th aladies, although they bore
great resemblances to the symptoms of
•a. hangover, especially on New Year's
Day, can legitimately be attributed to
some bug. Something that's been going
around, you understand.
One eye opens reluctantly and a blur
of football players •' flash by the
• television screen. Apparently it's one of
the New Year's Day classic' football
• games between Slippery Rock State
and • the Northern Minnesota
Polytechnical' Institute and School for
Disabled Disc Jockeys battling in the
Toilet Bowl. It's 'real important stuff
according to the announcers,
especially on tate first day of a brand
nr•' r hot thy, PVP again cl.os'gs.
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rks grants . , . , ..... .
ituaries .. - a
ptain Comet ... , .. .
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Meanwhile in Tehran thousands of
.protestors are killed in, the streets in
demonstrations against the Shah of
Iran •and thousands of foreigners are
urged to leave the country.
It's too bad really ,but we've got our
own problems. What with._ the falling
dollar and inflation, will you be able to
buy that•second car this year.
Meanwhile off the coast of Hong
Kong 2,700 Vietnamese refugees huddle
in the hold of a Tawa-nese freighter.
They. are the freight. They ring in the
new year clinging to the slender hope
that perhaps Wes-tGermany, or France
will accept them to live in their
country. They have been waiting in the
boat for nine days, •
The price of oil is going up again and
if groceries climb the way they have in
the past year you're sure to cut out that
expensive New Year's Party next year.
The budget is getting tight.
Meanwhile in a Chicagq suburb
police continue to dig out the remains
of strangled boys from underneath a
house and anxious parents wait in the
street for word that perhaps their
missing boy would ha.'ve.his life ended
in a crowded crawl space. He seemed
like such a good neighbor.
The head still throbs a little and with
the kids yelling,, it, becomes almost
unbearable and you can't hear the
football game besides. The kids don't
really understand.
Over one-third of the world's
population is under the age of 15 and
the United Nations has declared this
year, 1979, as International Year of the
• Child. Oh • well, maybe you can
rernember that tomorrow when things
have settled down a bit.
Meanwhile, while you revelled in the
prospect of greeting a New Year with
friends and relatives, a drink in one
hand, a party hat cocked to one side,
thousands of people ring inthe year
alone. It's just another day and they try
not to think of parties going on around
them.
But. -you're feeling better, the living
room is cozy and you hope that the
football game- will go into overtime.
Everything is secure at least until the
Chargex bills frojn. Christmas come
pouring in. And you wonder if you'll be
able to get away for that weekend in
February.
etc.
Meanwhile three .children died in a
fire in a cottage on -.Lake Simcoe and if
you get that promotion you might slip
away southwith the wife and kiddies.
GoIi"ric.th
NAS
1
132 YEAR -1
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1979
SECOND SECTION
Charity. McDonald retires
Her lifetime has
JOANNE BUCHANAN,
Charity ,. McDonald,'
who recently retired after
11 years as the Director
of Nursing at Alexandra-
Marine'and General
'Hospital in Goderich, has
led• a checkered nursing
career, spanning 39 years
in' four different coun-
tries. •
• Mrs, McDonald was
forced into an early
retirement this year for
health' reasons and •'she
says the • decision to
retire, was one of the
mdst difficult ones she
has eter had to make.
"I find it very hard to
accept the fact that I'm
out of a 'profession that I
have • been so actively
engaged in for so many
years, in so many dif-
ferent areas. I also find it
difficult to accept that I
won't be .working with
staff, patients and th'e
public to the same extent
in • a professional
capacity," she says.
• However, She plans to
keep herself busy and
° says she is certainly not
retiring from' - her
association with people.
She fe,els that personal
relations and good'
Charity McDonald retired this month after working 11 years at Alexandra'
-•Ma•rine-and-••General liospita --as.-the-Di're'ctor"ref-Nitfirlg -Slii 'Yid" feic
checkered nursing career spanning 3,9 years in four different countries. She
has delivered hundreds of babies in the bushes of Trinidad and also helped to
found a hospital there. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan)
•
whenshe grew up. When
she was taking all her
nursing courses, she
wasn't exactly sureWhy',
but eventually, she says,
=she found herself • in -
Trinidad, nursing where
there was not always a
doctor handy (from
March 1952 to April 1954). -
Looking 'Flack on her
career, she can see now
that everything she did
was for a purpose even.
though she couldn't see it
at the time. She feels that
God playedan active part
in her life and she truly
believes that all things
work together for the
good to those who are -
called according to God's
purpose.
"There were no co-
incidences in my life.
Everything was meant to
be," she says.
TRAINED IN
SCOTLAND
She was born on
February 5, 1921 in a little
town between Glasgow
and Edinborough, County
of Lanark, Scotland.
Later, when she met the
Reverend W.H.
McWhinnie_in Goderich,
she, discovered that he
communications are had been born "in the
important° whether they same town and she had
be hospital oriented or gone ,to school with his
otherwise. sister.
"I'm a people person. Aswas mentioned
People are more im- before, she knew from the
portant to me than things. time she wasca.young girl
I really love people," she that she wanted a career
says. - in nursing. She entered
Perhaps -phis--dla a €or nursing-school--r•Ight-f
people helps to explain ' high school at the age of
Mrs_. 'McDonald's reaspR_•v 18._in September of 039,,•
fore choosing a. nursing the same month and year
career. She knew as a that the Second World
young girl of nine that she War started. She studied
wanted to be a nurse general nursing
education at the Victoria
Infirmary in Glasgow, a
research hospital
associated with Glasgow
University.
Civilian, army, navy
and air force casualties
poured into the Victoria
Infirm.ary all the "'time.
while she studied and
worked ••there. She saw
many terrible , injuries
and never knew when
more would be coming in
next.
One time, while she
Was either a second or
third year studen4, a
bomb was dropped an one
wing of the infirmary.
There was no time to be
scared though, she says,
because she was so busy.
Sometimes she worked 18
hours a day and got very
little sleep.
During that,tim.e
however, she says, she
had the privilege of'
using Sir Alexander
Fleming's then newly
discovered penicillin, an
antibiotic to combat
infection• So much of it
was needed then and • it
was in scarce supply. -In
those days, there was no
penicillin capsules or
pills one could take and
injections had to be given
to patients every three
hours. •
"It was very painful
and it got to the point
where we didn't know
where to stick the needle
in n
een people:
and delivery as well as Tobago and Trinidad in
pre -natal" care and the an administrative
psychology ofthe position (these islands
pregnant woman nd the' were still British colonies
woman in lab in 1948).'
deltve_re�1, many ba., res When this friend went
both in homes ani on an 'interview for the
hospitals. If there was ' job, Mrs, MacDonald
ever' the slightest asked to go along so she
deviation from: a normal couldspeak to the person.
birth, an obstetrician was in charge. It just so
called. happened that the service
"I ' don't know' what had been looking for
possessed me, hut after I someone to work. in
got these two diplomas' Trinidad and once those;
(nursing and mid -wife), in charge were satisfied
corn -decided . to study co- that Mrs. MacDonald. was
municable and tropical the. right person, she was START HOSPITAL
diseases," she says. accepted.
This study included She arrived at the On her days off work,
micro- biology . and General Hospital at Port Ramah would travel. to
learning about., infection of Spain, Trinidad, West the south of the island to
control. b Indies in May of 1948. .She .help Mrs. McDonald
She ,says her. parents hada contract with the with her nursing. Once.
must have wondered if government to teach people had,.found out that
she was going to be a nursing there . for three the missionary's wife was
student forever, years. She taught there'a nurse, she- not only
Actershe received each for three and a half years nursed but also taught
diploma, she, worked for before someone could be nutrition and; the care of
four months to gain sent to -relieve her. children as well as
practical experience in Meanwhile, she had.helping her husband.
„�,vhat she had studied. In met a Canadian Sometimes she coultin't
total, she received seven missionary., in Trinidad handle more than two
years of nursing and they went to Sc'otl'and patients at.a.time at her
education. She also began in November of 1951 to be home and 'one• day she
to•teach.general nursing. married. said 'off the top of •her
,After doing all of this, "I didn't get married head to Ramah, "We
she decided that what she Until I was 30. I was so need a hospital.'
really liked best of :all' caught up in what I was So, together the two of
was mid-wifery. .She doing that I didn't have them started from"
especially loved the time to settle down before scratch, a small general
mothers and their little that," she says. - -hospital with about 16
babies. But she also liked They returned to• beds in a. big old house in
teaching and she wasn't Trinidad in 1952 and in San Fernando. They
quite sure how to corn:.-'.th•e.--next"••18 months. she •:<:called= the_ hosp.ital;, The
bine these two likes. delivered over 200 babies, -Victoria.
ext," she says, "This decision was often in the hush with no At this. point in time,
made for me," she ex- doctor. nearby and under Mrs. MacDonald had
MID -WIFE TOO plains..
the• most difficult cir- done ' some nursing
9 —�� " ^-' 7»rst
iances. management along the
As well as becoming a GOES TO TRINIDAD '"It would take the , way and for the next nine
...Regis>tered-No•r-se.z._:Mr-s- ._.___, .--whole-newspaper 10 tell --years-,.•-•s-he••beear-n•e••--ae_
MacDonald also became A friend of hers had' about some of those tively engaged as the
a state certified mid -wife. been chosen by the Queen births. Someday I'm • Director of Nursing •at
She,was taught all about Elizabeth's Colonial going to write a book,"
normal pregnancy, labor Nursing Service to go to she says. urn to page 2A •
Mrs. McDonald's son
Gord was born in San
Fernandoin the south ,.
part of the island of
Trinidad where • her
husband • -did ` his
missionary work..
During the 17 years
that she lived and worked
in Trinidad, Mrs. '
MacDonald says it was
her privilege to meet
Ramah Stewart, one, of
her senior students who,
she 'says, became better
than the teacher.
• Well it's the second day of 1979 and
here I sit at my typewriter charged
with the task of putting a few witty
phrases together in this column.,Quite
frankly those 'witty phrases are very
hard to come by. I haven't peen able to
grasp that new outlook on life that
should come with every new year. I
can't think of one flashy tidbit to
enlighten readers- While" filling this
space, �..
Despite the fact that it is practically
ancient history I could jot down a few
words,on my Christmas , with the
inlaws-Due-to -a consider -able -distance
-between me and them I•haven't spent
too many festive seasons away from
home but this year we decided to leave
our living room void of Dine trees and
take all the gift's and good spirits to my
mother -in-laws.
My relationship with my mother-in-
law is not the kind that stand up
comedians traditionally lament about
tit their roW.ines,,,1 like my mother-in-
law and she gust like me. Every time
We visrit her she treats me like a king.
My coffee cup is never empty, no meal
is too small or too large to prepare and
it seems my mother-in:law is not im-
,pressed with the way my wife takes
care of meat home.
1 figured that•the Christmas"season
would..be very relaxing on the road,. I
had next to no responsibilities and I
was prepared to do little more than sit
in front of football games and whine
quietly whenever I wished something.
A quick glance at an empty cup or•glass
or a peek into an oempty candy dish
would be all the cite -the ^ mother -in -fairy
would need to ask if there was anything
I,wanted.
Everything was going according to
plan untH Christmas morning. I had no
idea of the routine on Christmas
morning' at my wife's 'home. I didn't
'know if I was to get up with the.sun
prepared to open gifts until I was ready
to dr'op.fl'om hunger or if 1 was to lay in
a while, getup to a nourishing .'brb''ak-
'fast and quietly opa the gifts. It'was'
neither. At nine o'clock it seemed a
horde of anxious. relatives descended
on me shouting that the day was almost
over•and Irl better get out -of the sack.
Not wanting to spoil everyone's
Christmas I got out of bed and quickly
got dressed. As -it happened it was my
wife that was the only person con-
cerned about the hour. My mother-in-
law made 'sure I was fed and made
comfortable and we moved the party to
her rec room to open gifts. ,
No sooner were we all settled than
the door bell started ringing. Minutes
latter nine .kids' and ten adults were
thrashing arotfnd amidst., the din of
wrapping paper disintegrating in
children's hands and the odd scream
from a youngster not happy with
having to wait their turn to open gifts.
That seemed to continue until shortly -
"
after lunch when everyone went their,
way only to gather again at supper.'
Despite the confusion the morning
was successful. The kids were excited
about their presents and parents
managed to get a few seconds to chat
with one another and catch up on each
other's lives since the last time they
met.
Everything settled down after lunch:
Exhausted children were put to bed for
a 'couple of hours and parents managed
to sneak a wink to get ready for
Christmas dinner. This year my sister-
in-law volunteered' to spend the day in
the kitchen and except for a. minor
•problem, the Christmas 'pudding .ex-
ploded. just before dinner and the feast
wassi.. delayed. --,while. she and her.
husband, both desperately trying to
hang on to their ,Christmas spirit,
searched the kitchen for bits of pudding
that clung to the ceiling, walls, stove
and floor. Six •k -ids in • the kitchen
screaming_ about the explosion Made
that task just a trifle more difficult
than it should have been.
Despite the impression that all was
mass' confusion it was fun. It just
`wouldn't be right if everything went the
way it was suppbsed to.
jerf
Seddon
•C`
..9r•
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