As the oldest of 5 children, I grew up helping care for my siblings, and then as a teenager, I helped care for my great-grandma until she passed from a 3-year battle with leukemia in May of 2020. The loss of her amidst the chaos that was the Covid-19 pandemic urged me to get my LNA.
During the pandemic, I worked alongside my grandma, an LNA for 30 years, providing care to older people. This decision gave me a great sense of purpose and helped me make sense of losing my great-grandma, whom I adored greatly. I like to think it would’ve made her happy… seeing her daughter and great-granddaughter working together to provide the best possible care in such a trying time for healthcare and the elderly population. I’ve been taking care of others for as long as I can remember, so for me, it only made sense to continue my academic journey to get my RN.