Florence Nightingale
Basic Facts about Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was born 12 May 1820. She was born in an upper class family with her father William Nightingale and her mother Frances Nightingale. When her mother and her father got married. The mother thought the house was too little so they bought a new one. Ever since Florence was a young lady she had wanted to help the poor so whenever her family visited them she would always bring them food and money. As her family was rich they could afford education so she can learn. They even had their own library! As she grew older her older sister and her mother weren't interested about the education, her mother was more worried on getting her a husband. Florence, at that age, was an attractive young lady and could of easily got herself a husband. In stead she was curled up in a book learning. Both her older sister and her mother did not approve. "Flo, a man would want to marry a beautiful young lady like you not a dust old scholar who hasn't even got a time to go to parties!" From then on Florence's mother and sister made a party or a ball whenever they could to try and get Florence to fall for a man, but this did not work. Her mind was fixed in helping the poor and hoped that she could help more than just a couple of people in the countryside.
Life Story(in the eyes of Florence Nightingale)
One day I thought I heard the voice of God. He said 'You must use your life to do some good in the world.' I was convinced that it was the voice of God but I couldn't help being swept away. My family and I where going on a trip around Europe and we stayed at luxurious hotels and ate at posh restraunts. As soon as we got to the beautiful places my mother (Fanny) got us into socialising. Men lined up to dance with me and Fanny kept saying I can easily get a good husband because of my looks. But i had o intention of marrying. Fanny and Parthe thought I got out of my want_to_help_the_poor habits but the actual me wasn't fully out yet. Aunt Mai wanted to help so not only did she invite Me over but she got up early in the morning to help me study mathematics. When Aunt Mai told Fanny that I should have advanced lessons Fanny told me to come home immediately. The parties that Fanny booked would go on forever. I got up early in the morning to study in secret. The only time I ever felt peaceful was when we visited the poor. I knew what I was going to grow up to be- a nurse.
I bought a ton of books about medicine, sanitation and hospitals, soon I was an expert on medication.I started writing to politicians and made lots of friends. I found out that in Germany there was hospital run by church women but this didn't matter to my mother. Finally I collapsed, broke down. My friends took me to Rome so that I can go to recover. In Rome my spirits rose but as soon as I was back again my spirit went down again. Then my friends took me to another place,Egypt. On the way back we stopped at Greece where I found a baby owl. I loved animals and called it Athena. Athena wasn't enough to lift my spirits up though. My friends saw me hopeless and suggested to go to Germany to the Womans church hospital Kaiserwerth I had heard bout it so much. I spent two weeks there and after that my spirit rose extremely high. I felt as if anything was possible. this feeling only lasted a couple of days. Patrthe was being hyperactive and Fanny was at an uncontrollable anger. "If you tell anyone..." She spat at me "You don't care if you disgrace me or Parthe do you?" I kept silent but Fanny hadn't finished. "You wonder around the world and don't care for your sister! If you want to be a nurse that badly, be a nurse to your sister for the next six months!" I asked my parents if I could go back to Germany and in the end they gave in. I had won the battle. My life was starting to move.
I was going to organise everything, and I organise she did. I made everything perfect from beds to oranges.I changed the dirty bed sheets to white clean bed sheets. I opened the windows so the patients can breath fresh air. Some people I fired as soon as I knew them some just left and the rest just went the the flow. I went to other hospitals and wrote down notes o fall the problems. in the poor parts of London people were dying of cholera. A horrible disease caused by dirty water. Slowly the patients were getting better and people began to notice. It was 1854 and the Crimean war was not going well. A reporter from The Times reported that soldiers where left in the mud to die and if they wet into the hospital they would probably die quick. One of my friends Sir Sydney Hubert worked at the war office. He knew the reports and could think of only one thing to do. 'We must send Florence out to run a hospital!' he announced. Then I knew this is how I'll do good to the world. The government asked me to go to Turkey ad the Crimea take care of soldiers.Even Fanny and Parthe approved. First I needed a team. Not to young, I don't want them flirting with the soliders. Not to old or I might hae to take care of them. I made a simple uniform a plain blueishtuquise dress, a whie plain apron and a white bonnet type hat to keep the hair out of the way. Rings and badges were forbiden. When they got there it was miles worse than they expected.
In Sutari the hospital stank o fblood, nud, old wet cloths and bugs. Hurt soldieras lay on the ground on there thin straw mattresses which were covered with dirt and lice. The men had not washed for months and the only toilet was a hole outside. The men There like the cake and the blood like the icing- it covered them. No medicine, no clean bandages no beds and no tables to operate on.The army docters and sergant dfid not approve of me. "You will treat them like babies!" They snorted and grumbled. I saw I had to be carful on what I did Relived that I brought my own supplies I made bef soup.The army officer still fefused to let me or her nurses nurse. Two battles began Balaclava and Inkerman sent an avalanche and the octers of Sctari panicked and called me for help. her nurses were scrubbing and cleanig while I was making a list of what she needed. People who read The Times donated money to me and ordered food, clothes, pillows, cups, candles and all sorts of things. Huge jugs were filled with hot water for the soldiers to be washed but still the death rate went up. When the government found pout they go worried and sent health inspectors but what they found out was a bg surprise. The barracks where built over sewers and two dead horses were blocking up rthe pipes which polluted the water. The pipes were cleaned and everything went fine, furthermore a french chef. I was kind to the soldiers but strict to the nurses. At night I would walk around with a lamp and I would be like a comfurting angel to them. Once I saw a man with flak skin-scurvy. I gave him an orange to eat but he didn't eat it,nhe out it under the pillow and for all his life until it turned all black and srivly. When things were going well I went and inspected other hospitals nut in Balaclava I pished myself to hard and broke down again. For two weeks I ouldn't sleep. I was at geaths door but Iwan'ted to carry on. I was in despair when I saw the hopital I leat so well it had become a mess. The nureses where to busy quariling to nitice. I had to do things more independantly than ever. Then, my old friend aunt Mai camne to the rescue. The shops were sellijg nightingale soverniers. There was so much money that was made and donated that they could make a nurse training school. Fanny was excited that her daughter was famous and wrote to mer how proud she was but I was a very iserable. The soldiers left to home but she had to keep fighting with the generals and the quarling nurese did nt help me.
After what seems like centuries a peace pla was actiated and the war stopped. The last soldier left Scaturi before Aunt Mai and I went back home. Parties were then held endlessly. Queen Victoria found favor with me and sent me a special bradge of thanks, but I wasn't interested, my mind was focesed on the soldiers i hadn't saved. When i came home I created a fuss. I was be mailed at every day and Parthe and Fanny her delighted. The work in Scuturi had done a lot of change. Now they knew how to rub a hospital and she knew she was going to change something until I got a letter from the Queen and her husband's Balmoral in scotoland. I agreed, but not beacuase of the Balmoral. She was going to ak for a quest reform. They said were impressede of the amout of reaserch I did and agreed. Fanny and Parthe helped. I stayed in my room studying about the barraks I satyed there every day working. Parthe married Sir Harry Verney. I moved toa hotel in London and stayed on the sofa reaserching. after my parents diedI moved back to the house and stayed in my bed.
On the Gueens Golden Jubnilee Florene got her own little section and soldiers remebered me wth teats in their eyes.
