Medical student competing to be Miss England lets care home residents wear crown

A medical student who cared for her mum when she developed a brain tumour, lent care home residents her Miss Surrey crown days before competing in the Miss England beauty contest final.

Determined to give something back to the community after being crowned 2021’s Miss Surrey, 19-year-old Dhwani Kothari from Woking, met care home residents at Nellsar’s Princess Christian Care Centre and let a few -including resident Gwen - try on her crown.

Miss Dhwani, a carer and medical student born in Mumbai, India, moved to Surrey with her mother at the age of six-years-old.

From the age of eight, she became a carer for her mum, Ekta, after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Since then, she has become more focused on medicine generally, taking up a place at the University of Leicester to study medical science with dreams of becoming an NHS doctor.

Dhwani’s unwavering devotion to social care has extended well beyond her family background, having taken up an interest in connecting with the Surrey community’s local residents.

During her visit, Dhwani, now a Miss England finalist paid homage to the care at Princess Christian. Her mother Ekta, who is now tumour-free, joined her daughter on the surprise visit to the care home.

Christine Foster, activities manager at Princess Christian Care Centre, which is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, said: “We were delighted to welcome Dhwani to Princess Christian to meet our residents and show them her winning crown.

“She was kind enough to spend her day chatting with the residents and sharing stories of her recent triumph, which they all really appreciated.

“Having spent time caring for her mother, Dhwani understood how to connect with the residents on a meaningful level which was wonderful to see. We wish her all the best in the Miss England final!”

Those wishing to vote for Miss Dhwani in the Miss England final, where she currently sits in second place ahead of the 20 August deadline, can visit the Miss England website.

click here for more details or to contact Princess Christian Care Centre