Two midwives from Swansea recently made a heartwarming discovery after working together for over six years. Sharon Cooling, who had dedicated nearly five decades to the profession before retiring, had been colleagues with Katie Wintle since 2016. The special connection between them, however, was unknown until Katie, who is now a midwife sonographer, found out that Sharon had played a crucial role in her own birth. Katie, 29, shared, “I had worked with Sharon for so long, learning so much from her all the while, we didn’t know our special past. Now we’ve found this out, it means so much to both of us.”
Katie’s journey into midwifery began after initially studying law and then switching careers to pursue her passion for caring for others. After training as a midwife in Bournemouth, she joined Singleton Hospital in Swansea in 2016 where she crossed paths with Sharon on the labour ward. Katie expressed her admiration for Sharon, describing her as an icon in the field. Sharon started her NHS career at just 17 in 1975 and went on to qualify as a midwife in 1986. Her retirement from Swansea University Health Board marked the end of an illustrious career spanning almost 50 years.
The remarkable revelation of their shared past occurred while Katie was pregnant with her son, Luca. During a nostalgic moment with her family, they stumbled upon a photograph of Sharon holding Katie shortly after her birth. The recognition was instant for Katie, who exclaimed, “I immediately knew who that was. Straight away I knew it was Sharon.” What added to the serendipity was Sharon already possessing a copy of the same photograph, which Katie’s mother had sent to her after the birth. Sharon reminisced, “I remember the day Katie was born, the room we were in and her parents really clearly. I was very surprised to learn this after working together for so long.”
The bond between Sharon and Katie was strengthened by this unexpected connection, bringing a deeper meaning to their years of collaboration. Reflecting on the discovery, Katie shared, “It’s not every day that you come across someone who pursued the same career as you, and that you were there when they were born.” The power of shared experiences and the intertwining paths of their lives highlighted the beauty of their relationship as colleagues and now as individuals with a special, shared history. The touching story serves as a reminder of the connections we may unknowingly have with those around us, waiting to be unearthed and cherished.
As Sharon embraces retirement and Katie continues her work in midwifery, their intertwined journey serves as a testament to the lasting impact of relationships formed in the workplace. The tale of these two midwives from Swansea resonates with the essence of human connection, resilience, and the beauty of discovering the threads that bind us together. In a world where chance encounters can lead to profound revelations, Sharon and Katie’s story stands out as a poignant reminder of the depth and significance of the relationships we nurture over time.