Please briefly describe your clinical/medical experience to date?
I am a paediatric nurse and a friend of allergy. I would describe myself as a well-rounded nurse as I have worked in the acute, community and tertiary setting all with the NHS and within child health. I started my nursing carer as newly qualified nurse at King’s College Hospital (KCH) Toni and Guy ward. I soon realised I loved working with young people therefore went to work in School Nursing and had oversite of several secondary schools in Southwark. During my time as a School Nurse, I became a link nurse for allergy and developed the allergy resources we used in Southwark schools. I went on to work as a Specialist Children Looked After (CLA) Nurse which gave insight into health disparities and had the opportunity to offer targeted campaigns to improve health outcomes.
I worked at Evelina London Children’s Hospital (ELCH) Allergy Day Unit as a Clinical Nurse Specialist offering food and drug challenges to day patients and administering immunotherapy drugs for desensitisation in a Nurse Led day unit.
I now work at KCH as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Paediatric Allergy, looking to improve the health outcomes in allergy within my community.
What motivated you to enter paediatric care in the first place?
My passion for allergy stemmed from my own personal experience with having two children with atopy causing food allergies and allergic rhinitis which triggers their asthma. As a mother it caused great anxiety, therefore decided to empower myself with knowledge through reading medical journals and evidence-based literature, following prominent research like the LEAP study (2015) and liaising with medical professionals. This led me to achieve a postgraduate diploma in child nursing, which was only the beginning.
I love being a paediatric nurse and have returned to a specialty that I describe as my first love – what drew me to nursing.
This is building block in my career in becoming a Nurse Consultant in Allergy.
How will the funding from The Evie Dove Foundation help you to advance your career and your impact/services to children?
I have had the opportunity to learn a great deal during my role as a clinical nurse specialist in allergy nonetheless with this funding I am able to embark on this MSc in Allergy which will allow me to develop advanced knowledge and practical skills to optimally diagnose and manage allergic diseases. In the long run I am hoping this will allow scope for more Nurse Led clinics like an Allergic Rhinitis clinic within our department, reducing waiting times for our patients and in turn improving quality of life because allergies are an increasing global health problem but also it has comorbidities with asthma and eczema. I am intrigued to explore cutting-edge research in allergy and use to influence clinical practice we offer at King’s College Hospital Paediatric Allergy service.
How did you find out about The Evie Dove Foundation?
I sponsored a colleague (Lucy Puttock) for a run she did for The Evie Dove Foundation some years back and then my Lead Nurse mentioned the foundation in our one-to-one discussion.
Tell us about yourself!
I enjoy travelling and making French pasties. However, being a mother of three active children keeps me very busy. My son who plays U15’s for a London Football club started a reuse drive for unwanted football gear and clothing, which he donates to Football Clubs in West Africa and I organise the logistics. I also volunteer as the Welfare Officer for Southwark Aquatic Swimming Club!
Anything else you would like to tell us about your experience, future aspirations and motivations?
I have had the opportunity to create our first quarterly newsletter in Paediatric Allergy. This first edition came out in October ’25 for clinical staff and students working in Child Health which basically offers bite-size news and information around clinical immunology and allergy called Allergy in Action. The aim is to inform, improve and influence clinicians and students at King’s College Hospital – Child Health around allergy.
I just want to empower children, young people and their families living with allergies, offer exceptional care and reduce inequalities to health through improving education around allergy especially to my none-allergy colleagues.
