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Continued from page 2 everybody had one. I think she was very happy for it to go to someone who would appreciate it and care for it.” Indeed. “I was happy that it found a good home,” says Wilma, who is settled back into her apartment at the Port Perry Villa, after her recent hospital stay. “When we were getting ready to downsize and move to the villa, and I was going through my stuff and found the cape, I thought that maybe some dramatic club could use it. So I took it in to Lindsay to Vicki’s Values and donated it there, and the uniform too. “We didn’t really wear it much,” says Wilma. “I went into nursing the year Peterborough Civic Hospital was new. I was Sandra Carrier was caring for a woman at Port Perry Hospital when she found out her patient was the original owner of a nurses cape she purchased at a consignment shop. the first student in a new room, and there was a tunnel between the residence and the hospital. We used to run through the tun- nel instead of going outside, so I didn’t use the cape that much. It was almost in mint condition because it hadn’t been worn.” Besides the pleasant surprise of her cape finding a home with one of her very own nurses, Wilma had to swallow some surprise at the price Sandra paid for it. “Five dollars! For a wool cape! That kind of shook me because it was worth more than five dollars. But I was glad it got a good home and she really did appreciate it. I guess she wears it to work sometimes.” Sandra recently headed back to Lindsay to pick up two of Wilma’s nursing dresses and cap, which were also at the same shop. She intends to wear one of the dresses this fall, during the ‘Murder Mystery Evening’ at Scugog Shores Museum’s annual Murder Mystery Dinner. Sandra writes the script for the always-sold-out show, and this year, she will wear a vintage, blue nursing dress once worn by Wilma Cotton as she performed her nursing duties. Clothing is not the only thing that connects these two women. The other strong link is their love of nursing. Wilma remembers her nursing years with warmth. “1 loved it. I just loved it. 1 worked mostly in the obstetri- cal ward, now they call it new life or maternity. I spent a lot of time in the delivery room and labour room. We didn’t have FRx, AUTHENTIC “4 LOCK AND SECURITY EMERGENCY SERVICES Repair and Replace Locks Supply and Install New Locks and Push Bars Residential and Commercial High Security Locks\Garage Door and Opening Systems + Re-Key Locks Filing Cabinets Electronic * Master Key Systems Access Control Systems Bonded and Insured. No Extra Charge for Evenings and Weekends. Serving Port Perry, North Durham, Uxbridge, Brock and Victoria County James Mouland (Cell) 289-355-9550 4 FOCUS - JUNE 2011 JUNE FOCUS. 40 pages.indd 4 Sandra Carrier, a nurse at Port Perry Hospital, shows a section of a beautiful navy and red nurses cape with th initials of its original owner, who she met quite by accident. husbands hanging over or gaping all around. I would have been horrified if I’d had my babies in front of a whole bunch of people,” laughs Wilma. Sandra Carrier is also a maternity nurse, along with her other nursing duties. “Nursing is changing a lot,” she concedes. “I do like helping people, helping them feel better. It’s often just the little simple things you do for people, all the technology and things aren’t as important as the simple things you do to make people feel better.” Wilma Cotton would agree. When Wilma and her husband, now deceased, moved into Port Perry Villa, “We got rid of our treas- ures,” says Wilma. These days, Sandra Carrier can be spotted leaving Port Perry Hospital on a brisk day with one of those treasures draped over her shoul- ders, just like the nurses used to do. By Karen Stiller Focus on Scugog www.green-apple.ca 48 Water St. Port Perry, ON (905) 985-3767 5/24/11 8:48:42 AM