Hetty de Gannes contracted polio at the age of 7 resulting in severe disabilities in her legs and other parts of her body. Her father, a doctor, brought infrared and ultraviolet machines from Dublin and treated her and 3 other children who were also polio victims. Hetty willed herself to live and continues to enjoy a long and fulfilled life, being happily married and the mother of 4 sons and grandmother to 4 children.
She had won a scholarship to study Optometry, Visual Arts and Music in the UK. She later went on to the U.S.A. and Canada to do Sculpture and Training in Foundry work. Hetty is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Stamp design for International Women’s Year and one of the country’s highest National Award – The Humming Bird Medal (Bronze). She has hosted solo, joint and mixed exhibitions in Trinidad and Tobago and China and other countries around the world, and is presently completing research with the steel pan.
As she struggles to keep her muscles working, her philosophies on life include "never give up on life", "if you dream of doing something then do it" and "you come first". This multi-talented and courageous woman is an inspiration to all who have hurdles to overcome.
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