TODAY is World Diabetes Day. The campaign will for the day focus on promoting the role of nurses in the prevention and management of the disease. One nurse who, despite being retired 16 years ago, still finds time to work with diabetics and educate the public at large about the disease is Elvina Phillips – Raveneau.
“I have a passion to assist people in living a healthier lifestyle, to educate persons with diabetes, assist them in taking care of their feet as you know with diabetes one of the complications is numbness of the extremities, especially the feet. I want to be there to tell people that diabetes is a lifestyle condition and if they try to live a healthy lifestyle there is the possibility that the disease can be delayed or that they could never get it at all,” Raveneau said.
A nurse who worked at the diabetic clinic at Victoria Hospital for several years prior to retirement, Raveneau said she received much joy in sharing her knowledge of the disease to patients and on telling them how to live healthier lives so as to combat the disease.
“My heart is to make sure that people with diabetes understand that there is a point where diabetes can be managed. Ten years after my retirement I continue to work educating people about diabetes,” Raveneau said.
Raveneau is a mother of two sons and a daughter, a teacher, a patient advocate, a mentor, a counsellor, a social worker, a singer and more.
This phenomenal woman began her journey as a nurse on October 22nd 1968 and ever since has served in various capacities and is still serving.
She served as In-service Coordinator for all the in -service programs at the Victoria Hospital. Also Served as a Clinical Instructor for Victoria Hospital School of Nursing and also served as a Practical Examiner for the Nursing Council of St Lucia. She also served in several capacities in her Professional Organisation (St Lucia Nurses Association)
A founding member of the Diabetes and Hypertension Association Raveneau is a former member of the Cancer Society. In 2006 she was awarded a Commonwealth Fellowship to study the Management of Diabetes in the United Kingdom. On her return was assigned as a Patient Educator at the Victoria Hospital, with the responsibility of teaching at the Diabetic Clinic.
Because of her passion and love for Older Persons, she became a founding member of HelpAge St. Lucia, and its first President, serving in other capacities for more than 20 years. Raveneau was instrumental, through the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association and HelpAge International UK, to establish the National Council of and for Older Persons.
She worked assiduously with the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association to establish an Adult Day Care Centre. As president of HelpAge St. Lucia, she worked along with the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association and HelpAge UK to establish 24 Club Sixties Island- wide, and single handedly trained all the volunteers in every aspect of caring for Older Persons.
Raveneau assisted in the training of Age Care Givers for the NICE program from 2013 to the present.
To date she volunteers with the St Lucia Diabetes and Hypertension Association. In 2010 she was awarded a Les Piton Gold Medal for her Sterling contribution to Community Service work, especially among Older Persons.
Served as President of the Lioness Club of Castries on two occasions. She also visited several schools around the island to share, and attempted to bridge the generational gap, by lecturing on the ageing process.