Mary Seacole was born in 1805 in Jamaica. She grew up learning about folk medicine and herbal remedies from her mother. From an early age she was exposed to sick soldiers and bringing them back to good health.

In 1853, the Crimean War began and Mary learned about the poor medical provisions for injured soldiers and knew she could help these soldiers. She packed up and headed to London to try and be sent by England as a nurse to the trouble European war ground. She was met with lots of opposition and refusal to be sent over because she was a woman. She was still determined to get to Crimea (just south of Ukraine) to help. She started raising funds and paid for herself to go to Crimea. There, she created a hotel where she treated soldiers and officers. While her ways were a bit unconventional, she was later hailed a hero and made an impact on soldiers and fellow nurses with her ability to help care to everyone; rich or poor.

She is a great inspiration and shows every characteristic of a nurse: a person willing to go out of their way to help people who need their help. Mary paid for herself to go where she knew she was needed. She didn’t let prejudice stand in her way of helping.