Not many authors wait until they are 93 before publishing their first book.
But there again, it’s not as if Sheila Ferres has been letting the grass grow under her feet.
Instead, the Aberdeenshire woman who has pledged her life to helping others and raised over £200,000 for charity, will unveil the work in Deeside tomorrow.
After celebrating her 93rd birthday yesterday, Ms Ferres will launch her story, “A Life of Giving” at the Tor-na-Coille Hotel in Banchory.
Her professional life saw her become the UK’s longest-serving physiotherapist, for which she was awarded an MBE.
Ms Ferres said: “I was one of three girls, who were brought up knowing we weren’t going to be spoilt, so every night at dinner, we had to say what we had done for someone else.
“This is the theme of the book I have written: the things I have done for others in my life.
“Unfortunately, I contracted polio from a patient at the age of 30 and I have been severely affected ever since.
“But it was the finest thing that could have happened, because my experience throughout my whole life has been to give to someone else.
“Although I have been very handicapped from the age of 30, I have accepted it and used all my knowledge to benefit everybody else.”
Ms Ferres set up a dementia care centre in Banchory called Bennett House as well as launching Chart, which has raised over £200,000 for three local charities.
She said: “Chart came about in an interesting way. A friend who had done a lot of art came over for tea and brought with her a paint box and we did some painting and that was it and they sat in my summer house.
“I never gave the paintings another thought until the gardener said what wonderful paintings they were, so I decided to use my gift to the benefit of others.
“I went to the bank and set up an account and, since 2000, I have raised over £200,000.
“I also started the dementia centre in Banchory called Bennett House after my sister died from vascular dementia.”
The book is on sale from Thursday for £9.99 and all profit made from the book will go to Chart.
The book can be ordered from Ms Ferres or Rhod McEwan at Glengarden Press on 01339 755 429.
