Kettering 'superwoman' Veronica is a healthcare hero

A 'superwoman' health visitor from Kettering has won a top award for going above and beyond to support a family after a life-threatening birth.

Veronica Steele has been awarded a prestigious Pure Foundation Fund trophy by baby wipe firm WaterWipes after being nominated by a patient, named as Laura.

After Laura went through a traumatic birth both she and her baby needed further care, with the newborn suffering from health issues.

And Veronica made herself available every day to support the family through postnatal anxiety, depression and PTSD. Laura described her as a 'complete superwoman'.

Veronica said: “The last two years have been challenging in many ways, coping with fluctuating levels of staffing, news ways of working and being accessible whilst taking precaution to reduce the risk of Covid.

"The mental health of all expectant mothers, and new mothers and their partners, has very much been our priority.

"I’m proud of being a health visitor having been a midwife and a school nurse - I always felt having the opportunity to have a public health role was the pinnacle of my nursing career.”

As well as her trophy Veronica won a prize of £2,500 for Rothwell Medical Centre, where she works.

The Pure Foundation Fund, which launched in 2020, celebrates the achievements of healthcare professionals working with parents and babies in maternity, neonatal and health visiting care.

WaterWipes encouraged both neonatal nurses and midwives, and expectant and new parents, to nominate individuals, specifically involved in neonatal, maternity and health visiting care, who had gone above and beyond to make a difference to the lives of parents and babies.

Veronica was chosen alongside two other winners, Claire Slater from the Princess of Wales Community Hospital in Bromsgrove and Tori Payne from the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

Ailbhe O’Briain, WaterWipes' HCP marketing manager for the UK and Ireland said: “We were delighted to launch the second Pure Foundation Fund in 2021, to celebrate the dedication of our healthcare heroes who have provided beyond incredible care for expectant or new parents and their babies - and we were thrilled to see such fantastic and remarkable entries.

"Stories of those nominated included devoted nurses, midwives and public health nurses, who supported parents throughout the pandemic including Veronica, helping with difficult births, homebirths, and upping the ante to take care of unwell babies and struggling parents during a particularly difficult year for the world.”