why i became a nurse...

When I was a Junior in high school, my mom become pregnant and gave birth to her 8th child. My mother had a healthy pregnancy, so no one, not even the doctors could have predicted what was about to happen. There were a lot of complications with the birth, since my mom had previously been pregnant seven times. On top of that, she was 42 years old. This is slightly older than the national average age of women who give birth. And with increased age, comes increased risk for complications. My brother, Beckett Flynn, was born at Wauseon Hospital and was not breathing at birth. He was immediately Life-Flighted to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan where they admitted him to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). My mother's amniotic sac had burst during labor, and the toxins had gotten into her blood stream. The survival rate for this type of incident is about 2%. That's a 98% mortality rate. Everything spiraled down from there and we thought we might lose her. I've never been more scared in my entire life. The thought of losing my angel mother almost paralyzed me. Thankfully, Wauseon humbly recognized that they lacked the technology and tools to properly treat my mother, so she was flown to Toledo Hospital where they could better care for her. Now 100 miles from my brother, she fought for her life while Beckett did the same from a state away. The nurses at Mott Children's provided my brother and my family with amazing care. They attended to our every need and made sure we were being taken care of at all times. From that point on, I knew that this was my calling. I wanted to be a nurse, I wanted to help others; and nothing would stand in my way. 

My mother and baby brother made it, and Beckett is no longer a 'baby'. He is now almost 6 years old and going into the first grade in the fall. He along with my 6 other brothers and sisters, is the light of my life and the reason for all that I do. when I graduate and become a Registered Nurse, it will have been because of him and the inspiration he caused in me. Not everyone gets a second chance at life. But when you, do make sure you stop and thank the one that granted it to you. Life is beautiful, and an extremely precious thing. Never take it for granted. <3