Stephen Hawking’s Nurse Banned from Work
Stephen Hawking, who died last year, was confined to a wheelchair. The Hawking family had suspended Patricia Dowdy, who nursed the scientist for 15 years, after she was found guilty.
61-year-old Patricia Dowdy, the nurse who served late British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking was banned from work after Britain’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) made the ruling at a hearing recently as the nurse faces multiple misconduct charges which includes, providing the standards of good, professional care that Professor Hawking deserved.
Stephen Hawking, who died last year, was confined to a wheelchair. He was paralyzed and not able to speak, he had to use his trademark voice synthesizer after he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21 years. The Hawking family had suspended Patricia Dowdy, who nursed the scientist for 15 years, after she was found guilty.
While declaring the ruling the NMC’s Matthew McClelland said, “As the public rightly expects, in serious cases such as this -- where a nurse has failed in their duty of care and has not been able to (provide) evidence to the panel that they have learned from their mistakes and be fit to practice, we will take action”.
He also said, “We have remained in close contact with the Hawking family throughout this case and I am grateful to them -- as they approach the anniversary of Professor Hawking's death -- and others for sharing their concerns with us”.
Stephen Hawking ignored the initial prediction that he is going to live only a few years and worked continuously till his days and died at the age of 76 years, although his rare condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has gradually robbed him of his mobility. Despite such a difficult condition, Hawking became one of the worlds most inspiring and well-known scientists, who is known for his brilliance and his wit.
Stephen Hawking’s work was focused on bringing together relativity that is the nature of space and time and quantum theory, he studied how the smallest particles behave to explain the creation of the universe.
Hawking was also a well-known author, his book “A Brief History of Time” was a worldwide bestseller. He also appeared on television shows like “The Simpsons” to “Star Trek: The Next Generation”.
The Royal Mint has recently announced that the scientist would be commemorated in a new 50 pence coin inspired by his pioneering work on black holes. Royal Mint Director, Nicola Howell while declaring said, “We are very pleased to honour Stephen Hawking on his own coin. As one of the world’s most brilliant physicists he was a great ambassador for science”.
Stephen Hawking’s daughter Lucy Hawking thanked the Royal Mint for this rare honor and said, “It is a great privilege to be featured on a coin and I hope my father would be pleased to be alongside Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin as scientists who have made it onto money!”.