Vera Berard completed her initial nursing and midwifery education in South Africa. She immigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1982. Before founding an independent practice on the North Shore in 1998, she worked as a nurse, childbirth educator and a midwife at BC Women's Hospital. Since being in independent practice on the North Shore, she has been awarded a master's of midwifery practice from Thames Valley University, London, UK and an assistant clinical professorship from the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine - Department of Family Practice. She has been an active member of Lions Gate Hospital medical staff for over a decade. Her areas of interests have been the development of supportive communities and creating work life balance. She has found providing comprehensive maternity care to women and their families from early pregnancy, through labor and birth, early parenting until 6 weeks postpartum a privilege that has been tremendously rewarding and has enriched her life.
Vera also attributes her success in life due to the loving support of her husband, daughter and their family dog.
About Vera Berard:
"The power of birth, women's resilience and the transition of another soul into life never ceases to amaze and humble me".
Greetings! My name is Brangwynne Purcell (although you will often hear me referred to as Brynne). Since joining practice with Vera it has been a joy and privilege serving the wonderful women, babies & families of the North Shore & beyond both in the community, at home and in hospital.
I was born in New York State on the shores of Lake Ontario and had the privilege & joy of being raised by a host of strong & resilient women, within a loving and very large extended family. It was here that my deep & genuine appreciation for the sacredness of 'family' was born.
Today I am honored to be a registered midwife. Having graduated from the UBC Midwifery Program I have had the fortune of being trained by a host of gifted midwives, nurses & doctors and have enjoyed a rich medley of experiences. In the summer of 2007 my family & I had the exceptional privilege of traveling to Uganda where I worked in a local hospital as a student midwife while my husband & children volunteered with a Children's Village, specifically working with orphaned youth. This profound experience further deepened my awe for the wealth of strength, resiliency & power that women possess and demonstrated in concrete ways that with warm, compassionate & skilled care birth can be transformative.
Before entering midwifery I earned a Bachelors degree in Fine Art &
Creative Writing in 1991. For the decade that followed my husband & I
(both visual artists) found ourselves working for a non-profit organization,
in the inner-city of Camden, NJ, living alongside the children & parents we
were aiming to serve. My work over those years was at times challenging
yet deeply rewarding; it was within this context that I learned the true
meanings of compassion, humility and grace. Having given birth to my three
children during these years I also came to understand the significant
strength & support that lies within community.
While my formal training has certainly been invaluable the wealth of my
learning has been realized at home. My three children, Isa, Canaan & Finn
have by far been my most gracious instructors on this path.