KINGSTON, Jamaica — Violet Johnson loves children; in fact so much so that over the past 52 years or so she has raised about 50 children and loved every moment of it.

If it were up to her, the 80-year-old of Mount Prospect, Manchester, would still be fostering children but she is unable to do so now because she is a double amputee.

However, between age 18 and around 70 she never turned down a child who wanted to live with her. Johnson recalled that at age 18 she began taking care of her two-year-old cousin whom her mother had brought home.

“My mother went to visit my uncle — that was my mother’s brother — she said they had a lot of children so they came down with the little girl and the minute I saw her I said keep her for me I will take care of her,” she recalled.

At the time, she was living in Nottingham with her grand uncle and wife.

Johnson said she promised would be responsible for the child’s education and wellbeing.

“Her name is Olive and now she lives in Canada,” she proudly acclaimed.

Since that time, she has taken in many children, some of whom are related to her others are complete strangers.

“I raised a lot [of children]. Some of them are married and have children and their children have children. So, I have great grandchildren right now,” she noted.

Johnson said that when she got married she was an orderly at the hospital but because she had training in nutrition at UTech, then CAST, and at institutions in the US, Canada and England, she was eventually promoted to and retired from Hargreaves Memorial Hospital as an assistant dietician. She and her husband lived at Spice Grove in Manchester, where she said she prepared for six children including twins but only had one daughter.

“I always go over the maternity ward whenever there were deliveries and if there were twins I would always be excited. So, I said I want six children including a pair of twins.”

Her love for fostering was developed at an early stage starting with her great grandmother, who fostered many children. She said that she has a cousin, who is based in the UK, who has fostered many children and was even recognised by the Queen for her selflessness.

She was raised by her granduncle and his wife. She said at age 14, when they had their second child, she had to quit school and take care of the child.

“I stayed home and took care of that one and then they had another one and I took care of that one and when they (her grand uncle and wife) went to England I took care of the children here. To this day they call me mamma and I am their foster sister.”

Johnson, who loves to cook and bake, loves interacting with children.

“I love when they tell their funny stories and I love telling them stories and making them laugh. Children are just fun.”

She has raised children who come as far away as St Ann and Trelawny.

Her and her foster children remain very close.

“Their children call me grandmother. They remember my birthday on May 11. We are very close.”

“When they come for vacation they come by me because this is the only home they know this is the only mommy they know. So, they would come with their kids for the holiday,” she said.

After 50 years of fostered children beginning with her uncle’s daughter, it was fitting that the last two children she fostered were those of another uncle.

She still cooks for herself, runs errands and is an active member of the Shiloh Apostolic Church.