CINA/CNF Indigenous Award

When I was 8, my big sister was 12 and started to show signs of severe mental illness. She struggled for many years and experienced many traumatic events due to these health challenges. As a young child, I so badly wanted to help my big sister, and as the years went by, I knew I wanted to work in health care.   

I wanted to help children and young adults who were struggling, like my sister did when we were young. I began working toward my nursing degree.  

In the summer of 2019, I was nearing my final exams of my first year of the Nursing program and my sister died by suicide at the age of 27.   

Though she had struggled for 15 years, her death was a shock to my family and myself. I took a break from studying in order to heal, and I did not know if I would be able to handle the intense demand that I knew came along with working in health care.   

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Vancouver, I knew there were staff shortages, and I couldn’t sit back anymore. I started a support worker position with a non-profit in Vancouver Downtown Eastside doing street-based outreach for sex workers. After seeing myself thrive in this highly intense and emotionally difficult position, I knew all I had needed was some time to heal and grieve. Nursing is what I was meant to do.