I remember back to a day in Kindergarten, we were having "career day". It was a day to come to school either dressed in or to share what we wanted to be when we grew up. My choice that day was to be a nurse. I'm not sure why I chose a nurse so young, but I think I have always known that I wanted a career in something that would help people and one where I could make a difference in someones life.
When I started into college just after high school, I headed straight down the path for Nursing school. But little did I know that I would find the love of my life and my path would lead another way for the time being. We started our family and I focused on raising my kids and enjoying being their personal nurse. I would take every opportunity to look up anything that was going on with my kids and learn about what to do for them. Even though I wasn't officially in school for Nursing, I tried to build my knowledge base on my own. I knew that when my kids were all in school that it would be my turn to go back. Then something happened in my life to catapult me into my schooling earlier than I was planning on returning.
In October of 2007, my niece, aged 7, was hospitalized due to a seizure she experienced at school. Since she had never had a seizure before, they took her in for tests. The results were disheartening. They found a mass on her pituitary gland, and it needed to be removed. She went in for surgery and it was a success. They had her progressing to eating some semi-solid foods, but then she got sick. Spinal Meningitis is what they called it. She ended up mentally and physically disabled. She could no longer talk. She could no longer move on her own. It was difficult to see this healthy active little girl laying in bed needing complete assistance. I would go visit her as often as my schedule would allow and I got to see what kind of care she was getting from her nurses. Luckily she had great nurses, ones who really cared. I admired them and I reaffirmed my commitment to become a nurse.
I enjoyed visiting her in the hospital. Singing songs, reading books and helping with anything the nurses would let me do. It made me sad that she didn't have very many visitors and I knew this little girl needed love and support if she was going to get better. When I would come up, each and every time I would squeeze her hand three times while saying the words "I love you." I would usually just get a smile from her, but the day she squeezed my hand three times, I knew that my Dakota was still in there and she was fighting to get better, but that wasn't meant to be.
About two and a half months from the time she was admitted into the hospital, she passed away. My sweet Dakota left this earth and the handicapped body she was in, and I believe she became my angel. She is the one who silently pushed me to go back to school to become what I had always wanted to be. I want to be able to be a ray of sunshine in someones life. I want to be there to help when I'm needed. I want to be that smile that someone needs to see when they are in pain. I want to be someones angel and bring happiness into their hearts. I want to be a nurse.
When I started into college just after high school, I headed straight down the path for Nursing school. But little did I know that I would find the love of my life and my path would lead another way for the time being. We started our family and I focused on raising my kids and enjoying being their personal nurse. I would take every opportunity to look up anything that was going on with my kids and learn about what to do for them. Even though I wasn't officially in school for Nursing, I tried to build my knowledge base on my own. I knew that when my kids were all in school that it would be my turn to go back. Then something happened in my life to catapult me into my schooling earlier than I was planning on returning.
In October of 2007, my niece, aged 7, was hospitalized due to a seizure she experienced at school. Since she had never had a seizure before, they took her in for tests. The results were disheartening. They found a mass on her pituitary gland, and it needed to be removed. She went in for surgery and it was a success. They had her progressing to eating some semi-solid foods, but then she got sick. Spinal Meningitis is what they called it. She ended up mentally and physically disabled. She could no longer talk. She could no longer move on her own. It was difficult to see this healthy active little girl laying in bed needing complete assistance. I would go visit her as often as my schedule would allow and I got to see what kind of care she was getting from her nurses. Luckily she had great nurses, ones who really cared. I admired them and I reaffirmed my commitment to become a nurse.
I enjoyed visiting her in the hospital. Singing songs, reading books and helping with anything the nurses would let me do. It made me sad that she didn't have very many visitors and I knew this little girl needed love and support if she was going to get better. When I would come up, each and every time I would squeeze her hand three times while saying the words "I love you." I would usually just get a smile from her, but the day she squeezed my hand three times, I knew that my Dakota was still in there and she was fighting to get better, but that wasn't meant to be.
About two and a half months from the time she was admitted into the hospital, she passed away. My sweet Dakota left this earth and the handicapped body she was in, and I believe she became my angel. She is the one who silently pushed me to go back to school to become what I had always wanted to be. I want to be able to be a ray of sunshine in someones life. I want to be there to help when I'm needed. I want to be that smile that someone needs to see when they are in pain. I want to be someones angel and bring happiness into their hearts. I want to be a nurse.
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*this was written for an assignment in my first Nursing Course
2 comments:
KaraLyn -- that just chokes me up... I don't know what I would do without my Mallory!
My big sister is such an inspiration to me! You are AMAZING!!!
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