Determined Dorothy inspired by late brother

When Dorothy Dinsdale’s brother George Littler died of leukaemia during the final year of her history degree at Teesside University, she wanted to give up her studies.

But following his death Dorothy heard a note read out from her brother, urging her to continue.

Dorothy, 67, from Hartburn, Stockton, went on to graduate with a BA (Hons) History and also was awarded the Brian Ward Prize. The prize was donated by Brian, a former Teesside history mature student, who achieved a first-class degree at the age of 67 and an MA in history a year later.

Dorothy is a mother-of-three and a grandmother-of-seven. She enrolled on the history degree at the age of 64 after completing a short summer course at the University.

The history teaching staff were absolutely fantastic Dorothy said: 'It was a challenge starting a degree at this age but the history teaching staff were absolutely fantastic. They and other support staff in the library were wonderful and supportive and I can’t praise them enough. The young students on the course were absolutely amazing; they were very inclusive and didn’t discriminate.'

In the second year of her degree Dorothy was diagnosed with facial cancer. Then in the final year of her degree, just before Christmas, her older brother George was diagnosed with leukaemia, dying in the January. And Dorothy herself underwent three operations for another form of cancer from October to May.

Dorothy said: 'He was a really, really fantastic man and so supportive and important in my life. I spoke to him every day he was always genuinely interested in what I was studying.

'What I didn’t know is he started writing really long letters to the family after his diagnosis, and one of them had a message for me. My brother’s son-in-law read it out at George’s funeral service and he’d written that he didn’t want me to give up my studies.

'I had been thinking of leaving but hearing that made me determined to go on. Both my daughters came to my graduation and it was so nice to meet up with the other students again.'

Dorothy is now aiming for the University’s master’s degree in local history.

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