Valerie Ann Taylor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Valerie Ann Taylor
OBE
Born (1944-02-08) 8 February 1944 (age 80)
Bromley, Kent, England
Citizenship
  • United Kingdom
  • Bangladesh
Known forFounder of Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed
Parents
  • William Taylor (father)
  • Marie Taylor (mother)
Awardsfull list

Valerie Ann Taylor, OBE (born 8 February 1944) is a British-Bangladeshi physiotherapist, social worker and philanthropist.[1] She is the founder of Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar, Dhaka District.[2] Dubbed Mother Theresa of Bangladesh,[3] she was awarded 2004 Independence Day Award by the Government of Bangladesh for her public service.[4] In 1998, she was granted Bangladeshi citizenship by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.[1]

Early life[edit]

Taylor was born in Kent, England to Marie Taylor and William Taylor.[5] She grew up living close to National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England.[6]

Career[edit]

In 1969, Taylor came to Bangladesh, under contract for 15 months, with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) to work as a physiotherapist in the Christian Hospital, Chandraghona in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.[1] She established the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in 1979.[5] At the start of her career, she was running CRP with four patients in an abandoned warehouse of the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital. Later CRP has grown to include a 100-bed hospital.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Taylor is a legal guardian to two girls with disabilities, Joyti and Poppy.[5]

Awards and honors[edit]

  • Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1995)[1]
  • Arthur Eyre Brook Gold Medal (1996)
  • National Social Service Award (2000)
  • Anannya Top Ten Awards (2000)
  • Millennium Award (2000)
  • Dr. MR Khan and Anwara Trust Gold Medal (2001)
  • Hakkani Mission Bangladesh Award (2001)
  • Bangladesh Independence Day Award (2004)
  • Rokeya Shining Personality Award (2005)
  • Princess Diana Gold Medal (2007)[8]
  • Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award (2009)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award by Hope Foundation for Women & Children of Bangladesh (2009)
  • Nova Southeastern University Award (2009)
  • Rotary International Award (2013)[3]
  • National Environment Award (2020)[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Valerie Ann Taylor - Social Work". February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Ahmed, Bulbul (2021-02-11). "Three individuals, 3 organisations get National Environment Award-2020". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  3. ^ a b "Valerie Taylor wins Rotary International award". The Daily Star. June 8, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  4. ^ "Independence Award 2004 handed over". The Daily Star. 2004-03-26. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  5. ^ a b c "Valerie Ann Taylor: Founder and Coordinator of CRP". The Daily Star. November 28, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  6. ^ "Valerie Taylor's anniversary of birth today". The Daily Star. February 8, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  7. ^ "Valerie Ann Taylor". CRP-Bangladesh. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  8. ^ Amitava Kar (March 8, 2015). "IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS". The Daily Star. Retrieved February 9, 2016.

Further reading[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valerie_Ann_Taylor&oldid=1161415553"