Blog

Mother's Inspiring Careers

May 13, 2019
This month we asked our team who chose their career in nursing because of their mother to share their story. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms who continue to inspire future health care professionals!

Sara W., LVN

Growing up on a farm in Michigan, Sara has always been a hard worker. However it was one eventful night that turned her path towards nursing.

One night Sara’s mom heard their chickens making a lot of noise. Living on a farm they were used to chasing away animals. As usual, Sara’s mom went out with a shotgun to scare off the skunk that was chasing the chickens. By accident, her mother shot herself in the leg. Hearing her mother’s screams, Sara and her little sister went out to help their mother.

Seeing what had happened, Sara called 911 and handed the phone to her little sister and directed her to give their address. Sara frantically found some twine and created a tourniquet till the paramedics arrived. At 11 years old Sara decided that she always wanted to know what to do in situations like this and earned her Licensed Vocational Nursing license.

Sara is a part-time LVN here at BrightStar Care and works as research coordinator at Texas Tech University.

The flexibility home health works best for family. It also allows me to continue my education to RN, then MSN.

Mary M., CNA

Mary always had a heart for helping others. As one of 12 children, caring for her siblings is what helped keep her family going, however it was the birth of a her sister that ignited the flame to make caring for others a career.

As a young teenager, Mary joined her mother during labor. At the time, men didn’t go into the labor room. Mary watched as nurses moved quickly and methodically to help with the birth of her younger sister. Watching the nurses started an interest in caregiving but it was the months following that helped her choose to be a CNA.
Over the next few months, Mary helped her mom care for her sister. She would eagerly wake up at night to feed and change her sister to allow her mom to rest. As the years past she earned her CNA and began caring for aging family members.

I get a lot out of being a CNA. I get to help others live each day to it’s fullest. I am there to do what they need clinically but I am also there to be a shoulder to hug and an ear to listen to their stories. 

IMG_2576.JPGToday, Mary continues to care for others here at BrightStar Care but her most important client is her mother, who has been diagnosed with dementia. Through flexible scheduling, Mary ends her days by her mother’s side, listening to her stories and cherishing every moment.