Sylvia Hicks

Born in Quebec, Canada in middle of WWII, down to South America after war, but Father couldn't take the Tropics, so came to BC where I grew up as the oldest of 13 children. Boarding school for High School, then Gr.13 at Duncan High School. Became a sister (nun), and after studying to be a teacher, taught Gr.5, then 7 in Vancouver, BC, but as Medicine was my dream, not teaching, I got permission to study Medicine in Saskatchewan after which Africa was the only place for me. But that was part of my triple dream from 10 years of age - be a sister, a doctor and go to Africa. But after I graduated the sisters changed their minds, though I did get a 6 months stint in Monrovia, Liberia during their first coup, where I also visited Ivory Coast to see our sisters there. So I worked in Manitoba and BC on my return. But I fell off a bucking horse and broke my right wrist that took about 8 months to heal. So the sisters said they weren't going to send me though I had been promised for over 2 years to Kakata, about 60 miles north of Monrovia. So I said that was a matter of conscience to be promised to poor people and then withdrawn, so I wanted to take a year's leave of absence to fulfill my promise, but they wrote to the Liberian Bishops to not allow me, so I ended up working in the Transkei, Southern Africa for 3 years, but was invited to rehabiltate a hospital in Southern Liberia on my way home, then asked to implement my report. After 9 months I returned home to work in BC, but became the subject of 'politics' in a town where a doctor had given me his practice, but they denied me privileges without reasons given. So legal battles, and as couldn't afford a lawyer over the time, lost even though accused of nothing, then not allowed to appeal further, so had to declare bankruptcy, and lost my home on my 60th birthday. Still not recovered from that, but was hoping to do an Internet business to supplement my disability and now Old Age Security Income.