(Image: Supplied)
A midwife is celebrating three generations of NHS service as part of Black History Month.
Emma Fleary, a pastoral support and preceptor midwife at the Women’s and Newborn Unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary, has spoken about her Caribbean and Yorkshire heritage and the legacy of care passed down through her family.
Ms Fleary said: "Heritage is so important.
"It's my identity and my family's identity.
"I was born in the UK, so I am English, but I am also very much Caribbean.
"My family has some very English traditions, but we also have very traditional Caribbean traditions too.
"Those traditions, our community connections and our values are things we continue to pass on to the next generation."
Her grandmother, Dorothy Henry, left the Caribbean for the UK in the 1950s as a single mother and began working in a care home before moving into hospital roles.
Despite facing discrimination and hardship, she built a career in care that laid the foundation for future generations.
Twenty years later, Ms Fleary’s mother, Jacquelin, began training as a nurse and spent her career at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Inspired by both women, Ms Fleary qualified as a midwife, continuing the family’s more than 70-year tradition of NHS service.
Her mother was born in Trinidad and moved to the UK as a toddler, while her father, Rawlin, arrived from the island of Carriacou at 16.
Ms Fleary said: "A single black woman with a child coming to the UK in the 1950s is something I completely admire.
"I think she was absolutely amazing.
"She shared stories about some of the challenges she faced, but always did so with a smile.
"Looking back, I realise how difficult those experiences must have been and how much courage it took."
Now, Ms Fleary is dedicated to supporting new midwives and building a workforce that is inclusive and representative.
She said: "Representation is key.
"I've worked hard to be in the position that I am in, but I'm grateful to be here because I hope it encourages other black midwives and midwives from different ethnicities to join the workforce and become part of that change."
Professor Mel Pickup, chief executive of Bradford Royal Infirmary, said: "We are incredibly proud of Emma and all our colleagues whose backgrounds, experiences and cultures strengthen our organisation and the care we provide every day."