Why this teen wants to be a nurse

I’ve always known that nurses have hearts of gold, but it wasn’t until recently that I learned it firsthand.
July 18, 2006, was the date that changed my life forever. It was the day that Jennifer was born and I was there for the delivery. I didn’t know her mom, Kim. The reason that I was present was because of the kind and generous heart of a Labor & Delivery nurse who wanted me to be there to make my dream of witnessing a live birth come true.

I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was 2, and an ob-gyn since I was 9. At the time of the delivery, I was 12 and still held the same passion. Medicine is not something I like; it’s something I love. So when Nurse Nancy offered to have me shadow her for a few hours, I was all for it. I had no idea what she had in store for the afternoon. Little did I know, this day would change my life forever.

When I arrived at the hospital, we went up to Labor & Delivery to meet Nurse Nancy. I was shocked to hear that she was taking care of a mother who was willing to let me view her delivery. I felt ecstatic, and was confident that I could handle the experience. This is what I had hoped and dreamed of for years.

Time passed quickly, and at 4:51 p.m., Jennifer was born. I was in awe. Nothing could have prepared me for the joy I felt as the doctor shouted “It’s a girl!” to Kim’s friends and family. Nurse Nancy took Jennifer over to the warmer, where she cleaned her up and checked to make sure she was healthy. She listened to her heartbeat with a stethoscope, and then let me listen. She stamped her footprints on my arm. I showered with a towel over my arm for several weeks, and tried to sleep with my arm in the air to savor the priceless memory on my left forearm.

Today, more than three years have passed since I witnessed this extraordinary event. I’m sure that as I grow older and hopefully achieve my dreams, childbirth will continue to astonish me. Every time I look back upon July 18, 2006, I remember Nurse Nancy and realize that without her, my dream of witnessing a live birth may never have become a reality. Thank you, Nancy.

[Photo is of Allie being interviewed by Fox Television at Barack Obama’s Super Tuesday Election Night party.]