You could say nursing has always been a part of my life; my mother was a nurse in Jamaica. Now, after overcoming so many obstacles, I finally get to follow in her footsteps. I recently received my Associate of Science in Nursing from Broward College. Yet, it didn’t hit me how much I’ve overcome until our recent candlelight ceremony.
As a teenager, I worked with my father on cigarette boats dispensing and disposing of chemicals, which is where I developed leukemia. No matter how weak or sick I felt, the nurses gave me the encouragement and motivation to stay strong. It was while sitting in the hospital bed, as I waited to receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant from my sister, where I made a promise to myself. I thought, “if I survive the procedure, I will pay it forward and become a nurse so that I can help others and make my mother proud.”
When I was in remission, I dedicated myself fully to my studies. More than 20 years after making that promise I have reached the culmination of all my hard work at age 46.
Holding the candle in my hand, I felt as though the torch of Florence Nightingale had been personally passed on to me. The candlelight tradition may be old, but its deep meaning remains strong for us new nurses. I do not take the responsibility to care for another lightly because I know the importance of a nurse’s role firsthand.
I’m thankful to my family, friends, professors and everyone who supported me along the way, but I am especially thankful to my inspiration – the nurses from the Cancer Moffett Center in Tampa for saving my life back in 1995. This moment could not have been possible without those nurses who inspired me to pursue what would become a dream fulfilled.