Yvonne has lived in Suffolk all of her life and now lives near the Suffolk/Norfolk border in the Waveney Valley. Her entire life has been within the NHS. She is a qualified mental health nurse (RMN) and is particularly drawn to helping/supporting others in emotional distress for whatever reason. Yvonne has completed a counselling certificate with the UEA which she has used within her twenty-five year career as a practice nurse at her local medical centre.
Having deteriorating health due to an inherited heart disease she retired from nursing in 2014, however she still work there a few hours a week in admin. She also trained as an aromatherapist and is a bach flower remedy registered practitioner.
In 2016 and with chronic heart failure Yvonne was referred to Royal Papworth for assessment for heart transplant and was duly listed. After two false alarms she received her donor organ in February 2018. Her life experience is quite varied and vast along with her insight into illness, having been an Inpatient and now an outpatient at Royal Papworth Hospital.
