Thoughtful Thursday || Inspirational Lady That is My Gran

Hellooo shimmers, 

My Gran is such an inspiration to me. She sadly passed away in 2008, and even though she is no longer with us her legacy lives on.

My gran with my Dad as a young boyMy grans name was Elizabeth (Elsie) Wilson. She married Allan Wilson who was a pharmacist in WW2. He also built model planes and boats. My gran was a nurse in WW2. They had 5 children, my dad and his twin are the youngest and there is 18years between them and their oldest sibling.
My dad's twin (Uncle Jon) was born with Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is a fault in the spinal column in which one or more vertebrae, the bones which form the backbone, fail to form properly, leaving a gap or split, causing damage to the nervous system. I don't know a lot about the condition, but it does mean that he needs to use crutches or wheelchair to get about. It is not 100% know as to what causes spina bifida however those who are pregnant and have a history of spina bifida in their family take an increased dose of folic acid during the pregnancy.

My gran along with Drs and other parents caring for children with Spina Bifida set up the Scottish Spina Bifida Association. It is the only Charity in Scotland that focuses on spina Bifida. they provide support to families and to the person affected by spina bifida. They do amazing work supporting, reassuring and providing information about the condition. To find out more about Spina Bifida and the Association then head over to their website here.

I always remember a story in particular about my gran. One day she walked into the head offices of P&O cruises and demanded that they take 30 children on an all inclusive cruise. And they did!! Not sure how she managed that one but 30 children got to go on a holiday of a lifetime. It was quite rare in that time for people to go on holiday let alone those with a mobility condition.
My gran knew what she wanted. She was very strong willed. Loving and caring with the heart of a lion, passionate, brave and strict when she wanted to be.
My gran and my uncle Jon one christmas went down to london and were presented with the first mobility scheme car, adjusted to allow my uncle to be able to drive a car. Because of the spina bifida he would not be able to operate pedals so instead it has hand operated pedals.
Laura x