Stephanie, a student training lead for Dietetics and alumna of the University, is remembered for her brilliant mentorship and the sincere kindness she showed her patients.
Date: 03 June 2020
London Met was saddened to hear of the death of Stephanie Chow, who worked as a training lead for Dietetics students, as well as a clinical lead for over a decade. Originally from China, she was also an alumna of the University, having graduated in Dietetics in 2001.
She worked at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust where she was a Stroke Specialist Dietitian. She offered guidance to care homes about eating well and staying hydrated in later life, and to the families and carers of people with dementia on maintaining a healthy diet. In addition to her degree from London Met, Stephanie had previously gained a degree in nursing in 1994.
Dorothy Balhatchet, Senior Lecturer in Dietetic Practice Education, said, ‘I met Stephanie as my supervisor during one of my roles within the NHS and her commitment to high-quality dietetic care was immediately evident. She was very knowledgeable but also willing to debate various approaches and consider my views which I think is what made her a brilliant mentor to so many dietitians in the profession.
‘More recently, I worked with Stephanie in my role at London Met. Stephanie was always willing to work closely with us to ensure she was doing the best she could to support student training. I will miss Stephanie's positivity and seeing her friendly face when I visit the department.'
Sarah Illingworth, Head of Health Sciences at London Met said, ‘Stephanie was a dedicated and passionate dietitian, with high-reaching standards and her nurturing approach enabled our students to achieve their best. She was committed to educating future dietetic professionals, through educating students during their placement and by supporting our new graduates. She will be missed by her colleagues and the London Met community.'
In a moving eulogy, Mandakini Patel, Head of Nutrition and Dietetics at North Middlesex University Hospital said, ‘Stephanie was a very gentle, kind, caring person. She was extremely passionate about caring for her patients. She went to great lengths arranging everything for patients including before they were discharged from the hospital, spending hours chasing other staff from other external agencies just to make sure the patient was going to be safe and ok.’
Her colleagues at the acute stroke unit remember her for ‘her kindness and generosity and beautiful smile, and how she always made time to say “how are you?” even on the busiest day.’
Her funeral was held on Monday 1 June 2020.
