Pauline Collins on the Painful Decision to Give Up Her Child
Actress Pauline Collins once spoke of the most painful decision in her life — giving up her firstborn daughter for adoption. The beloved Shirley Valentine star passed away this week at a care home in Highgate, North London, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Her family said she died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
The Heartbreaking Choice
In her 1992 memoir Letter To Louise, Collins revealed that at age 22, while working as an actress in Ireland, she became pregnant and decided to have her daughter, Louise, adopted. She kept this decision secret from her friends and family for years. Raised as a devout Catholic in Wallasey, Cheshire, and coming from a modest background, the young actress felt she had no means to support the baby.
"I had her adopted when she was six weeks old," Collins wrote. "It was the most awful thing ever to do."
She reflected on her decision with deep emotion, acknowledging that her reasoning, though sincere at the time, now felt distant and small compared to the lasting impact it had on her life.
"I thought my reasons for doing so were good. They were partly familial because my parents were teachers at Catholic schools and partly because I had not a penny in the world and nothing to offer this child. It is extraordinary thinking about it now because it means so little now."
Later Reunion
Years later, Pauline was reunited with her daughter Louise, closing a painful yet significant chapter of her life.
Author’s Summary
In her honest reflections, Pauline Collins revealed how a painful decision rooted in youth and hardship shaped her life, leaving a legacy of deep empathy and courage.