Valerie Ann Taylor
British-Bangladeshi physiotherapist and philanthropist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 the Mother Teresa of Bangladesh,[3] she was awarded the 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]
- United Kingdom
- Bangladesh
- William Taylor (father)
- Marie Taylor (mother)
Valerie Ann Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 February 1944 |
| Citizenship |
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| Known for | Founder of Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed |
| Parents |
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| Awards | full list |
Early life
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
In 1969, Taylor arrived in Bangladesh, under contract for 15 months, with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) to work as a physiotherapist at 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 ran CRP with four patients in an abandoned warehouse of the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital. Later, CRP grew to include a 100-bed hospital.[7]
Personal life
Taylor is a legal guardian to two girls with disabilities.[5]
Awards and honors
- 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]