Hi all,
I am no mail this week as well, am sending this because all of us in Norwegian
'Ammehjelpen' are so proud.  One of the founders of our organization, Elisabet
Helsing, who for many years worked at WHO in Copenhagen, was awarded the
King's Gold Medal for Service (my translation - don't really know what it is
called in English) and the medal was presented to her on Saturday the 25th of
October at the banquet in connection with Ammehjelpen's 35th anniversary.  It
was quite moving to hear someone be highly praised and acclaimed for her work
to help mothers exercise their right to breastfeed so that their babies can
get the food that is their right.
Elisabet was instrumental in the development of the WHO Code for marketing of
breastmilk substitutes.  She was also a co-founder of World Alliance for
Breastfeeding Action in 1991, a worldwide network to promote, protect and
support breastfeeding.  She remains active on its board to this day.
Elisabet's way of treating those who work with her is renowned.  She has
boundless energy and seems not to notice how exceptional that is, but rather
treats everyone as her equal, which seems to bring out the best in them (us!).
 She is painstaking about thanking anyone who has ever given her so much as an
idea, and about sharing honor and credit, and even though we know all that, we
were still surprised when she didn't suspect a thing until her name was read
up and she had to go receive her medal.  This is one of the highest civilian
honors possible here, and one which few women have attained.  Even the King
realizes the value of the work Elisabet has done - perhaps he recalls that his
own children were raised with the benefit of Elisabet's first edition of her
book about breastfeeding, which was instrumental in turning the tide of
formula away from this country.  In the archives of Ammehjelpen is a thank-you
card from then Crown Princess Sonja, for the copy of Elisabet's book delivered
to the national hospital when she gave birth to her first child.  That child
gave birth to her own daughter 6 months ago, at a baby-friendly unit here, and
the BFHI is another one project in which Elisabet had a strong hand, from her
time at WHO.
In July of this year she led a session at the LLLI conference in San
Francisco, about HIV/AIDS, so some of you may have met her then; if so you
will surely remember her.
Elisabet herself would be mortified if she knew I was spreading all this
boasting about her, but she deserves every word of it.  I am thankful to know
her, and thankful on behalf of mothers and babies everywhere that she is who
she is.
in admiration and bursting with pride on her behalf,
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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