Army combat medic fought mental health issues on return from Iraq and moved forward to become a nurse

                                     

"While deployed in Bagdad, Iraq, as an Army combat medic during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sgt. David Fields was known as “doc.” He cherishes that title as a badge of honor."

Years later, “My sponsor asked me when I felt the happiest in my life. It turns out that it was when I was in Iraq as a combat medic,” Fields says.

After going to the Veterans Administration, Fields secured Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits designed to retrain military personnel and help them access employment and educational opportunities. He took aptitude tests that confirmed that he was best suited for nursing.

On the cusp of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a minor in gerontology, Fields is hoping to establish the same rapport he had with military service members with a different population – the elderly. He is this year’s recipient of RIC’s Harold Sweet Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions and excellence in the study of aging. 

Less than one percent of registered nurses are certified in geriatrics, according to the American Geriatric Society, so Fields’ presence will help to fill a major void.

“I feel like I have a special knack with senior citizens,” says Fields, now age 43. “I have a close relationship with the elderly women in my family, especially my nana, who is in her 80s now. I strive to treat people the way I treat her. I have the care and capacity to make a difference in geriatrics, and I want to do so as a nurse practitioner in geriatrics mental health.”

Read more at: 

https://our.ric.edu/news-events/news/meet-our-graduates-former-combat-medic-earns-degree-nursing-work-elderly

Cheers!

Donna

After 100 surgeries as a kid, Caleb Wolf is now a nurse!

 "Diagnosed at just two years old with Chiari malformations and pseudotumor cerebri, conditions that caused serious pain, seizures, cognitive issues, and vision problems, Wolf would go on to have more than 100 surgeries and treatments at Children’s Mercy Kansas City hospital in Missouri." 

"Wolf faced enormous challenges throughout his long-term stays as a pediatric patient, but fought, not just for himself, but for other patients like him who were forced to spend their holidays in the hospital. He founded a non-profit that gifted kids with holiday and other special gifts during their hospital stays, and then later, as an adult, he found the ultimate way to give back: He became a nurse himself and now works as a staff RN at the same hospital where he practically grew up." 

"At only the age of 12, Wolf and his friend Reagan started a group called Henson's Heroes, which supplies toys, gifts, holiday meals, and other items of enjoyment, comfort, and need to patients and their families. What started with a competition between friends to see who could get the most toys donated (spoiler: they filled two entire school buses!) quickly became a community tradition." 

"I was like, 'Okay, I get it now,'" Wolf says. "I kind of understand what's going on here. And that gave me the boost to kind of see, kind of the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Today, Henson's Heroes lives on through the hospital's annual Snowflake Shoppe, which allows parents and caregivers of inpatient and dialysis families to "shop" for gifts—donated by the community— without ever needing to leave the hospital. Community members or individuals can still donate online to continue Wolf's efforts with monetary donations that can be directed to the Snowflake Shoppe." 

Read more about Caleb at: https://nurse.org/news/nurse-caleb-wolf-childrens-hospital/

Cheers!

Donna

Erin Murphy, RN survived a heart attack and is raising awareness about SCAD

 

"Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Erin Murphy moved to Birmingham in 2017 to finish her bachelor’s degree at UAB.

After four years as an inpatient nurse at UAB, Erin was offered a job as an inpatient charge nurse on the Adult Psychiatric Unit at Shelby Baptist Hospital in Alabaster.

Last June, Erin was making her rounds on the unit when she started getting shooting pains down her left arm and shortness of breath.

She told her manager, who then called rapid response.

Erin was taken to the Emergency Department, and a few hours later, doctors said that her troponin was elevated.

Troponin is an enzyme in the heart that plays a vital role in muscle contraction, so elevated troponin levels indicate damage to the heart muscle.

Cardiologists discovered that Erin had a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD), which is a condition where a tear occurs in the wall of the coronary artery, causing blood to accumulate between the layers of the artery wall, leading to a heart attack.

Through this scary and uncertain time, Erin praised her doctors at Shelby Baptist for making her feel at ease.

“Dr. Bender took amazing care of me, and her care did not end when I was discharged from the ICU. She helped me get a SCAD specialist, wrote me referrals and she’s just been incredible.”

Now, nearly one year later, Erin is raising awareness for SCAD and heart health.

Did you know that SCAD is the number one cause of heart attack in women under 50?"

Read more about Erin’s advice about protecting your heart.

https://bhamnow.com/2025/03/20/local-nurse-survived-heart-attack-tells-her-story/

Cheers!

Donna

 

Kaila Mabus was inspired to become a nurse because of Castleman Disease, a life-threatening lymphatic disorder

 "Nursing was never a consideration for Mabus prior to Castleman; she didn’t even know anything about it. She had her heart set on becoming a teacher because she loved working with children."   

"That changed after spending months in Lurie, where the nurses got to know her in ways beyond just a medical chart. Mabus remembered Jessica for making her laugh, Brittany for taking her out on the patio to get a little bit of air each day and Anna for being with her on the hematology-oncology floor during Christmas. Their care showed Mabus her true calling." 

“We always hear about cura personalis at Marquette: caring for the whole person. My nurses embodied that. They cared for me physically and mentally; they were true friends to me,” Mabus says. 

"While Mabus is not certain what specialty she wants to pursue, she is favoring the two areas she experienced as a patient: nephrology and oncology. She’d still like to work with children and hopes to show them the same compassion she received from her care team."

 Read more at:

Marquette student inspired to become a nurse through battle with rare disease | Marquette Today

Cheers!

Donna

Nurse survives and inspires others

 “The signs of danger were there,” Tamara recalled. “But I was in denial for a long time.” 

The abuse Tamara faced was sporadic and she convinced herself it wasn’t a domestic violence situation, but as she and her husband faced divorce, his behavior took a deadly turn. On what seemed like an ordinary day, Tamara came home from her shift to an argument that escalated in an unimaginable way. After retreating from the argument, Tamara thought the matter would be settled and was surprised to see her husband emerge in their living room with a gun in his hand, pointed at her. 

“Are you really going to shoot me over a bathroom door?” Tamara remembered asking. 

Before she could react, her husband shot her six times, before taking his own life. Their two teenage children were home, and their daughter, 13 at the time, called the police while her son, 15 at the time, carried out the 911 operator’s instructions. 

“The scene was overwhelming, but I remember my children were both bold and courageous. My son coached me through his tears until paramedics arrived. I still remember being in my scrubs, knowing exactly what was happening to me. I never lost consciousness, so I was looking at the patient experience from a perspective I’d never been in,” Tamara said. “I still get chills thinking about it all.”

 Read more at:

Tamara’s story: Nurse survives and inspires others to heal 

Cheers!

Donna

After overcoming a dark past, nursing student defeats the odds and graduates with the help of her sister

 

"Obtaining a degree of any kind is not an easy or simple task, and for Jonnell Richard, she wouldn’t have crossed the stage on Dec. 15 if her sister had not “saved her life.” 

"Growing up, Diamond Blackwood and Richard dealt with years of physical and emotional abuse that left visible and long-lasting psychological scars that could’ve derailed anyone’s journey, but one sister’s courage and the other’s sacrifice helped Richard defeat the odds." 

"In 2021, the sisters garnered the attention of the creator of the Humans of New York blog. The website and its corresponding social media pages capture images of New Yorkers and couple the photographs with short stories about their lives."

"Brandon Stanton, who manages the website, would approach people on the street and ask them to take their photographs for a feature, but after the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, he asked his over 17 million followers to submit their stories. He said Blackwood and Richard stood out among the 25,000 submissions because of “the devotion and sacrifice that Diamond made to help raise her sister.”

"Stanton mentioned Richard’s desire to attend nursing school, and a few followers stepped forward, offering to mentor her." And they did! 

"Richard graduated from Utica University with a 3.7 GPA."

Read more at:

https://atlantablackstar.com/2024/01/08/nursing-student-defeats-the-odds/

Cheers!

Donna

Claudia I. Martinez, MD has an important message for health care providers with disabilities

"The otoscope and ophthalmoscope are two tools I haven’t been able to use. The residual weakness in my hands from my stroke still lingers and my grip strength is poor. Bc of this I drop everything I carry in my right hand and often those I carry in my left hand as well."

"Being able to see into my patient’s ears, mouth and eyes is very important. In therapy we often tie my hand with an ace bandage wrap so I won’t drop what I’m holding, but needing another person to follow me and literally tie my hand to each tool for me while I’m seeing each patient just isn’t practical. Bc of @eazyhold I’m now able to get this same effect and can use these tools on my own."

"The world isn’t built for individuals with a disability, but thanks to adaptive equipment such as @eazyhold we have a chance to make things around us accessible and not allow our disability to handicap us in every aspect of our lives."

https://www.instagram.com/claudiaimartinez/

https://eazyhold.com?bg_ref=wIZgbMzdyQ

Cheers!

Donna