Uncrowned Community Builders

Carol was born and reared in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of Irene and Irvin Kimbrough. Her childhood was filled with many academic accomplishments, excelling in most endeavors. She graduated class valedictorian in 1957 from Douglas High School in Oklahoma City and won a full four year academic scholarship to Howard University, in Washington, D.C. Carol, an accomplished classical pianist, played piano with her church and Glockenspiel in the marching band. She has sung in many choruses, including the Howard University Choir and Mt. Zion Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir in Seattle, Washington.

In college Carol met and married Thomas Earl Flanagan Jr. and began a family while continuing to pursue a career. She received her BSN from Howard University School of Nursing, Cum Laude; and received her MSN from The Catholic University of America, with a certificate of pediatric nurse practitioner. Carol's career pursuits led her to work in Maryland, Los Angeles, and ultimately in Seattle, Washington, where she retired in 2004.

Professional affiliations included National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners; Washington State Chapter, NAP-NAP, president 1997-98; Sigma Theta Tau National Nursing Honor Society; Washington State Association of Black Health Care Professionals Board of Trustees; International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Physicians Assistants; and Northwest Society for Adolescent Medicine.

Carol's entire nursing career has been directed in working in the inner cities with poor and disenfranchised people of color-including Hispanics, African Americans, Eastern Europeans, and many immigrants from South East Asia and Africa. Her workplace settings have included community/public health nursing; pediatric nurse practitioner in primary care clinics and specialty clinics such as sickle cell anemia, pediatric gynecology, and adolescent medicine at the Childrenââ?¬â?¢s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington; public health nurse consultant in Washington State; and manager and provider in high school teen health clinic and lecturer for the University of Washington.

Carol's initial experience and training in sickle cell anemia at the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease led to many uses and continuing involvement on a national level. She has served as patient advocate in grass roots groups, published several articles, assisted in developing educational materials for clients and public, provided extensive community and workplace education, and strong advocacy to help affected persons lead quality lifestyles. She is a coÃ?­founder and was an active fundraiser and planner for the ground-breaking free sickle cell camp held each summer at Camp Burton, Vashon Island, Washington. This camp was developed for all affected children from Oregon, Alaska, Washington, and Idaho.

Carol has loved to travel and learn the cultures of people she meets. Her roaming includes living and working in Montreal, Quebec, visiting Thailand, The Netherlands, France, Germany, other areas of Canada, Mexico, many places in the Caribbean, and attending a Spanish language school in Guatemala.

Carol is the proud mother of three sons and one daughter, and has two grandsons. She is now retired and newly married to Christopher Frank. They reside in Spring Hill, Florida.