Special award for Lancaster nurse whose husband was held captive by the Taliban

Kelly Cornwell, a newly-registered Mental Health Nurse who works at The Pavilion substance misuse detox facility in Lancaster, has faced a year like no other.

Her husband Kevin, a humanitarian aid worker, was taken captive by the Taliban in January 2023 whilst working in Afghanistan.

Two weeks later Kelly, 49, had to undergo emergency surgery, spending five weeks at home in Thornton recovering from her operation. This forced her to put on hold a professional placement working on acute wards of a mental health hospital which she had to complete to be eligible to successfully complete her nursing degree.

She then went on to fight for her husband’s release at a time when his own health was rapidly deteriorating during his imprisonment in Afghanistan.

All of this whilst Kelly has been in her final year of a three-year BSc (Hons) Registered Nurse: Mental Health Nursing degree at the University of Cumbria, a course that she had delayed enrolling upon for years due to family commitments.

Post-op, and with the support of her university lecturers Louise Corless, Charlotte Pearc, and Lisa Smith, Kelly focused on her dissertation whilst recovering from her surgery at home in Fleetwood.

Once well enough, Kelly began clawing back the 170 placement hours she had missed in addition to the 500 hours of a final professional placement she had to do to complete her degree.

During this period, Kelly’s hopes of her husband’s release were raised twice, only to be dashed before he was eventually freed on October 10 after 272 days of arbitrary detention.

Now, just weeks after his return to the UK, the Cornwells are able to celebrate as they begin to rebuild their lives.

Kelly is one of the 1,100 students to have graduated from the University of Cumbria in a series of formal ceremonies held at Carlisle Cathedral.

A former teaching assistant, Kelly was also the recipient of the Jim Cox Prize, a special award for the Most Inspirational Student selected by academics within the university’s Institute of Health.

Kelly said: “As well the support from family and friends, I also could not have done any of this without the support of my lecturers, and the universal information and skills I’ve learned on my course that have enabled me to challenge and question what was happening to Kevin and help to fight for his release.

“When Kevin was taken, we were used to him working away but upon hearing he had been taken I think it made me even more determined to finish my course so when he came home we could focus on us, our family, and move forward and focus on the future together.”

She added: “I’d originally planned to do this degree around 10 years ago after my Access to Higher Education qualification, but family commitments at the time meant I wasn’t able to. Therefore, I think once I’d started it I was determined to finish not thinking something as extraordinary as this would happen. When it did, I think I compartmentalised everything which has allowed me to focus well."

Kelly and Kevin have seven children in total. Along with her proud husband Kevin, Kelly was joined at her graduation by their teenage son, Kelly’s two grown-up sons and her mother.

Kevin said: “This is a moment of exceptional pride for me as I came home knowing Kelly had continued her studies despite the challenging circumstances she faced and completed her degree with honours.

“In addition, as I found out that Kelly had been nominated for the Jim Cox Award, I was overwhelmed. Many people from various walks of life approached me and spoke highly of Kelly’s efforts and dedication. Throughout the negotiations for my release, she maintained cohesion within our family. She fought tirelessly to push the boundaries of the government’s talks with the Taliban to secure my release. Kelly triumphed over adversity and never gave up.”

Lisa Smith, Principal Lecturer within the University of Cumbria Institute of the Health, said: “As academics, this was not a difficult decision for us because we have been truly inspired by Kelly’s strength of character and resilience in the face of great personal difficulties that she has faced with her husband being detained in Afghanistan.