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Childhood Hospital Separation: ‘I Want My Mummy’
For decades, many British hospitals kept sick children apart from their parents. This article looks at childhood hospital separation, James Robertson’s films, the Platt Report, and what family historians can recover from the silences in hospital records.
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Separation and Strength
In July 1937, young Harry Drabble was hospitalised for tuberculosis, facing isolation and trauma. His experience epitomizes the emotional struggles of many children in 20th-century Britain separated from families during long treatments. Despite these challenges, Harry developed resilience, ultimately shaping his life positively and highlighting the importance of understanding and acknowledging such hidden histories.
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Forgotten history: A child’s experience of bovine tuberculosis
In 1937, two-and-a-half-year-old Harry Drabble was separated from his mother after being diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis, enduring traumatic hospital treatment for over two years. This isolation and neglect affected him emotionally and socially, mirroring the experiences of thousands of children during this dark period in British history.
