She was born to a family in England and her father was the local rector. She was very creative in growing up, even an accomplished artist, but she was drawn to a career of service in medicine. She had one love of her life, a distant cousin, and that relationship did not work out. Her career in medicine led her to serve in hospitals throughout Europe. Her father died in 1910 and she went home, but couldn’t stay. When World War I broke out, she knew that she had to care for those in need. While serving in a hospital in Belgium, she was presented with the opportunity to help getting young men, who were wounded, to escape away from German occupied Belgium. Such activity brought about accusations of treason. At the trial, she was found guilty and her execution was ordered. There was international pressure for mercy, but to no avail. She was executed on October 12, 1915. Her death brought about a worldwide condemnation against Germany and she became an icon in standing up for those in need. The details of who she was and what she represented have resulted in streets, schools and even a mountain named after her. She was a heroine in every sense of the word. Come and hear about her and the impact that one determined nurse can make in the world.
