[MINA LAUGHS] Oh, my dear Bram! I remember when we first met in Cruden Bay in Scotland for a trip and we got on so well. I then invited him to visit me in Whitby, which is where I moved to support Arthur’s new venture after the Carpathians. Bram was very curious about our story,  and we…well, I suppose one thing led to another, and he was anxious to tell a version of it, mostly fabricated you understand, of his very own. To incorporate it into a tale of horror he was already writing. I must admit I was sceptical at first, but the idea intrigued me. Of course, in our real-world story, there was no monstrous being known as Count Dracula, no vampires, and no magic. Just a group of unlikely individuals and a rather terrible set of circumstances. But Arthur convinced me it would aid us in establishing the Foundation, and nothing in the world meant more to us than that. So we gave Bram permission to use our likenesses, and he even studied our writings and manners to ensure he could capture us on the page. I remember discussing with Arthur if we should have changed our names, changed who we were, but the release of the story, outrageous and horrifying as some of the details were, did introduce more people to the importance of blood and blood work. We were able to find many patrons to support us due to the release of Dracula, and while it has certainly made my life much stranger than it could have been, I was never truly upset by the book's legacy. I know Abraham - Professor Van Helsing's – nieces and nephews love to see how their uncle is presented as this dramatic vampire hunter! Sometimes, I wish Bram hadn’t changed so many details, particularly the ending, but I am not myself a writer, so I had faith in his words. Given the loss of my dear husband, Jonathan, at just 24 years old, I sometimes feel that a part of him lives on, caught like a pressed flower between the pages of that book. All I know for sure is that I have faith in what Arthur, Abraham, Jack, and I have created. We are honoured to work with the public to save lives, as we have done for the last 40 years.

Dame Mina Harker was paramount in supporting the creation of The Holmwood Foundation with Lord Arthur Godalming in 1894. Her contributions to sciences and assisting to pioneering research in haematology was a lifelong mission after her husband Jonathan Harker died in an accident in the Carpathian Mountains in 1890. She was made a Dame in 1930 when she was given an OBE for services to the charity and sciences. Mina’s life was dedicated to supporting the Holmwood Foundation and its research, particularly after the tragic loss of her son, Jonathan Quincey Harker, who lost his life during The First World War. Her estate has been taken over by the Holmwood Foundation, to continue its great work in haematology as it celebrates its 59th anniversary this year.