TYLENOL® Fund to Advance Diversity in Nursing and Health Equity Research

My brother has always been someone I’ve looked up to. When we were children, we would spend long hours together playing with Lego and fantasizing about superheroes. However, this peaceful period came to a halt when my brother was diagnosed with cancer. 

I still recall the tireless 30-minute drives to the hospital which were paired with music from the radio and distant gray clouds that filled the horizon. Each time I entered with him and my family through the red doors of the BC Children’s Hospital, I felt his fear and discomfort. But during each of his check-ups, I saw him being kindly comforted by friendly nurses. Their gentle nature, warm smiles, and caring eyes reassured me that my brother was in good hands for his cancer treatments and inspired me to want to be like them. 

As a prelude to nursing, I was motivated to serve in the healthcare field. I started volunteering in 2021 on a weekly basis at the local pharmacy. I felt encouraged to further look into the nursing field through the relationships we built with our patients. Multiple nurses in my community eagerly shared their career highlights and I became captivated by their illuminating stories of being a support for others. 

After serving in the community, I dedicated my future to becoming a nurse. In post-secondary, I now attend TWU’s School of Nursing to achieve my dream of becoming an empathetic and skilled pediatric nurse, just like the nurses that cared for my brother.