Roswell Park changed my life. From the moment I walked through the doors, I knew it was a place I wanted to work.
Nursing
Some days it’s hard to stay strong. I get emotional when I see families crying or patients struggling to cope with their illness. I feel for the moms who miss their child’s school event because of surgery or the young patients who are scared for their future.
Upon learning I had won the DAISY Award, I immediately thought of several different groups of people: the two patients who had nominated me, the incredible team I work with at Roswell Park, and my family.
I love what I do for a living. How many people are able to say that and actually mean it? I consider myself one of the lucky few because I am a nurse at Roswell Park.
As a teenager, I had my heart set on joining the Peace Corps. I grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and met people from all walks of life who inspired me to give back. I wanted to travel the world and help those in need.
Growing up, I never planned on being a nurse. I am shy and squeamish around blood — two unusual characteristics for an RN. But with a knack for math and science, I took a chance on nursing.
“In late 1999, at the age of 33, Patrick awoke with some blood blisters in his mouth. Having survived Hodgkin’s Disease twice, he was admitted to his nearby hospital and diagnosed with the autoimmune disease ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura).