My mother, Pat Purdy, who has died from Alzheimer’s aged 87, was passionately committed to supporting children. After working as a paediatric nurse, she founded a multidisciplinary centre caring for pre-school children with complex special needs, Lee Lodge, in Braintree, Essex, which she then ran for more than 20 years.
Pat was born in Hove, East Sussex, to Vi (nee Jackson), an accounts clerk, and Sidney Barnard, a waiter. An only child with no cousins, she said her childhood had been very lonely. At the age of three she was taken to live in a children’s home, Dicker House, Burgess Hill, because her parents were unable to look after her. She returned home aged 10, but her father left soon afterwards and Pat and her mother moved to Wandsworth, south-west London, to live with her grandparents. The nature of her childhood had a profound impact on Pat and motivated her to care for other children.
After technical college in Wandsworth, she trained as a registered children’s nurse at at Belgrave hospital (now part of King’s College hospital), and then worked there as a staff nurse.
She met Alan Purdy at a dance organised with the Royal Army Medical Corp, and they married in 1957, moving to Colchester, Essex, and then to the village of Black Notley. Pat then paused her career to have four children and become an “aunt” – foster mother – to a Barnardo’s boy, John.
She returned to nursing at Black Notley hospital in 1966, first in the acute paediatric wards and then running a residential ward for children with complex special needs, including hydrocephalus, spina bifida and cerebral palsy. Over time the number of resident children diminished, and Pat wanted to set up a day unit that would enable children to be supported but to live at home. She took her idea to a consultant paediatrician and secured funding to run a day ward for these children. Lee Lodge opened in the 1970s and Pat was in overall charge as the ward sister. She was a quiet and unassuming person, yet was always fiercely protective of her charges.
Pat continued at Lee Lodge until retiring in 1994, when she found new interests involving young people. She became a Scout leader, volunteered at a prison centre caring for visitors’ children, and served as a school governor. She was also a victim support volunteer and member of the child protection panel in Braintree. Her driving force was caring and kindness to children and their families.
She is survived by Alan, her children, Kira, Tina, Konrad and me, her foster son, John, grandchildren, Keir, Claire, Rory, Keely and Garrett, and great-grandchildren, Jessica and Joe.
