Florabelle Agellon was born to be a nurse.

Early in her career, she had wanted to become a missionary nurse. But her plans changed in 1969 when she came to Canada to care for patients at Mount Sinai Hospital.

“My passion is helping and caring for people,” says Agellon, a Labour and Delivery nurse and volunteer bereavement counsellor. “I’m completing my mission through nursing.”

After earning a psychology degree at the University of Cambridge in England, Agellon trained to be a nurse at Essex County Hospital and studied midwifery at London Hospital. She applied to Mount Sinai and received a job offer while still in England. Agellon’s first day at the Hospital was December 8, 1969.

She has since spent nearly forty years at Mount Sinai and has played a role in thousands of births. Her bond with the Hospital remains as solid as ever.

“I have always felt a strong connection with Mount Sinai,” says Agellon, whose three adult children were born here. “When I work, I give from my heart. Over the years, I’ve discovered that there are so many people at the Hospital who work from their hearts.”

Offering a caring hand and words of hope to patients and families comes naturally to Agellon. For the past 14 years, she has brought her compassion to the role of volunteer bereavement counsellor at the Hospital.

Through Mount Sinai’s nursing preceptor program, Agellon mentors new nurses. She shares her experiences and wisdom, and believes that the first few minutes a nurse spends with a patient are the most important. “The patient can tell a lot about the nurse’s character during these moments, such as whether or not the nurse is nurturing and caring.”

Agellon has been recognized with several awards for mentoring new nurses, for which her colleagues nominated her. She has also received recognition from patients. One grateful patient made a donation to the Hospital in honour of the care Agellon provided during the patient’s stay.

After four decades at Mount Sinai, Agellon maintains her passion for what she does and continues to learn from her experiences here.

“Even after I retire, I’ll volunteer here,” she says. “My bond with the Hospital is that strong.”