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| Free illustration: Heart Care, Medical, Care, Heart - Free Image on Pixabay - 1040227 |
I'm Rebecca, but my family calls me Becca. I come from a very huge family living in the Northwest side of Chicago, which is also my birthplace. My family is my everything. Ever since I was young, I remember being around them all the time. We all lived in one apartment, so there was no escaping them. It was super fun being around them all the time, but I can’t say there weren’t any annoying moments. In fact, I think those annoying moments are what shaped me to be the patient person I am today. Many good things happened in my family, but of course, so did bad things.
When I was 9, my grandpa suffered a heart attack. Luckily he survived but he still had to go through so much. One of the obstacles included open heart surgery. This was the first medical emergency that my family and I had to go through, and it put us in shock.They were in and out of hospitals trying to find the best surgeons. All this was super scary to me. I hated seeing my grandpa (who is basically my dad because he was the one that raised me and my siblings) going through this. He was sick, but I know he hated seeing everyone stress over him. Luckily he survived this major surgery, but there were still many more days spent in the hospital. I know a hospital is a place we should not be excited to go to, but I was. I know it was because I knew my grandpa was going to be alright, but there was another reason why. The nurses. I was amazed by what they could do. They were in his hospital room many more times than the doctors. I remember going home after the hospital visit and playing doctor with my siblings. Letting them be the doctors while I was the nurse. I would try to mimic their tasks by using my imagination. All of this was super fun to me. There was a time when I even missed the hospital because we stopped going. But soon, I wouldn’t have to. Another medical emergency occurred within my family. This happened when I was 10, so just a year later. And it was at this time when my call to action happened. My aunt, who I consider to be my best friend, was diagnosed with Leukemia. Hearing the word “cancer” come out of the doctor’s mouth sent us all in tears. This really made everyone weak for a moment. I didn’t have to miss the hospital anymore. It was like my family’s second home. My mom was always there, and I hated that. I was glad someone was keeping my aunt company, but I also wanted my mom to be home. I felt really selfish for missing her, so I knew I had to change my feeling and attitude. I started to pay more attention to the things my mom would do for my aunt. The more I paid attention to that, the more I started to appreciate what she was doing. I also started to realize something else. My younger siblings were even more confused as to what was going on. They missed her even more, and they also needed her. That’s when I had to step up. I am their big sister, so I need to show them that they can feel safe with me as well. Whenever my mom was at the hospital with my aunt, I made sure my little brother and sister were fed, did their homework, and were ready for school the next day. I didn’t want my mom to worry about any of that while she was away. And she didn’t have to thanks to me.
That experience shaped me into the compassionate person I am today. I was already a genuine caring person before that event, but it definitely became stronger after that. My compassion is what drove me to become interested in nursing, as well as my admiration for them. Nurses do so much, and I don’t think people realize that. They helped my 2 family members to recovery, and I can’t thank them enough for that. I have seen the smiles that some nurses bring to their patient’s faces, and I realized that I want to be one of those nurses.
To get my journey started, I attended University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). With all my hard work and dedication, I was accepted into the nursing program. I went through hell while I was in it. So many sleepless nights, crying, and stress. There were points when I wanted to give it all up and just quit. But I didn’t because I remembered who I was doing it for. My mom kept reminding me of that, as well as my aunt. I remember seeing my mom study her butt off while she was in school. She admits it was hard, but she didn’t give up. I admire her for that. I also admire my aunt. She had cancer, and now she’s a nurse. She knew what it was like to be in pain and scared, and she wanted to be the person to take that away. Her mission is also mines.
In 2021, I finally graduated and became a registered nurse. I got a job at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Downtown Chicago. I was the happiest person ever when I got called in to work there. I remember my first day there. It was so nostalgic. I remember walking down those hospital hallways as a visitor, and now I’m walking down them as a nurse. I was super proud of myself. While I was working, I interacted with so many different people. Those people included coworkers, patients, and the patient’s family. In a way, they have all shaped me into the person I am today. I learned so much, especially from my patients. I can’t lie and say that it was super easy for me to get up and go to work everyday. It wasn’t. I’m a very emotional person, and I get attached easily. Imagine the pain that I would go through when one of my patients was terminally ill. But I did my best, and gave them the happiness that they deserved.
Now, I’m a traveling nurse. Traveling has been one of my passions ever since I was a teenager, and it hasn’t died out. At first I was skeptical about combining my career with my hobby, but it all turned out super well. I’m called in to whichever location needs me the most, and I usually stay there for about 2 months. After those 2 months, I get called in for other locations. People call me crazy for doing this, but I don’t think I am. I’m doing what I love, which is helping people, as well as traveling. The latest location that needed me was Thailand. I worked my butt off over there, but I was also able to admire the beauty that the country holds. Of course I do miss my family and friends while I’m away. Especially my family. They were the ones that helped me throughout school by pushing me to never give up. They were the ones to cheer me up whenever I had a bad day at work. I couldn’t have gone through all that without them. I know they’re super proud of what I’m doing. All the tears, sleepless nights, and missing out on fun parties was worth it. Now I’m able to put smiles on people’s faces by letting my good heart take away their fear and pain.
