This is my "WHY?"

My "WHY": My dad was diagnosed with Emphysema at 35; I was two years old. I was the youngest of 3, and he and I always shared a strong bond. Growing up, I wondered why my dad couldn't do the things other dads did, like coach my little league team or go out and play. When I was 12, my dad had a massive heart attack and was pronounced DOA at the hospital. He survived, but from that point, his health began to decline steadily. Many hospital visits, a collapsed lung, and various other issues followed. I graduated high school and was heavily involved in his care, such as assisting with ADL's, bringing dinner, and taking him to doctor's appointments. I would forego hanging out with friends to spend time with him because I knew it was limited. I tried to go away to school, and the anxiety of feeling like something would happen while away was too much to handle, so I quit. He passed away peacefully seven months later. Following his death, I couldn't even go near a hospital. It would take a longer route to work specifically to avoid the hospital in which he passed away. I continued to work dead-end job after dead-end job until finally becoming pregnant with my son. My partner urged me to take this time to stay home and raise him and finally pursue nursing as I had always dreamed of doing. So I did. When my son was four months old, I started at community college and applied to Chamberlain University in Fall 2019. In January 2020, I was in nursing school. I was doing it. And now, after nearly failing my freshman year, I am within one year of graduating with my BSN with honors.

Sit with yourself, discover YOUR "why," and allow it to motivate you. I promise you will get through it, and no matter what, you will be able to have that motivation to push you that extra step. Everyone goes through something that helps create a path on who they are today; remember to be the best version of yourself and remind yourself your "why."

Written by: Kym Wisniewski

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