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Adopted daughter: I nursed mum without revealing identity

Phyllis Whitsell was put into care as a baby and lived much of her life believing her mother was dead.

As an adult, she discovered her birth mother was not only alive but was a well-known local alcoholic with mental health problems.

Working as a district nurse Phyllis added her mum to her weekly rounds without telling anyone. She didn't reveal her identity to her mother for nine years, but felt she had left it too late for her mother to understand.

In this clip she describes the moment she saw her mother for the first time: "She was very bruised and battered".

This clip is from 5 live Daily 17 September 2015.

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Duration:

2 minutes

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