Debunking the school nurse myth

Scrubs: What have you learned from Ryan?

Ellen: Ryan has taught me patience, acceptance and good managerial skills, and because of him, I now have an extensive education on diabetes. He has been a role model for any student with a chronic medical condition to embrace it and maximize his potential. This life-changing event turned into a completely positive experience, and I’ve actually watched my school population become part of the team with Ryan.

Ryan gets a lot of attention from everyone simply because of the nature of his condition and the constant testing in my office. On occasion, this has evoked some feelings of “Why is he so special?” I often tell my other students that they are special, too, and that Ryan really is an ambassador for this disease; even though he gets a lot of attention, he has to live with the fact that he has a disease that will require monitoring and testing every day of his life, and it won’t go away unless there’s a cure in his lifetime. Through all of his activities, Ryan is working very hard to help that dream of a cure come true. He is involved in support of diabetes education as well as fundraising.

Scrubs Magazine followed up with Ryan to find out what his hopes and dreams are for the future. He replied that he’d like to be a teacher at Lowell Elementary. “I’ve learned from Ellen that I can do anything I want to do and be whatever I want when I grow up,” he says.

To learn more about Ryan’s trip to the Children’s Congress, visit Ryan’s Facebook fan page. Also, see the photo gallery of superstar school nurse Ellen Keane.