“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

That’s the question for every child when they go to school, meet older people, or just casually walk around the grocery store. It’s always a thought to consider.

For me, my choice was something within the medical field. I always had a fascination with anatomy, health, and the body. As a neonate, I had spent time in the NICU due to cardiac issues, with some days being very “touch and go”.

The doctors told my parents that they had done all they could do. Prayers and the healing power of Jesus Christ is the only thing that saved my life. I’m forever grateful for Jesus. Even with that healing from when I was a baby,  as a child, I continued to frequent doctor’s offices for various medical issues. 

I became accustomed to the smell, the routine, and even some of the medical jargon. One of my most serious medical issues was my chronic heart condition, and over the years, I became very acquainted with my cardiologist.

As a result, I decided that I would become a cardiologist. I couldn’t control my circumstances of having these infirmities, but in that moment, I made the choice to give back to the same field that had helped me for years. 

Becoming a cardiologist was my dream, but everything changed one cold, dreary winter. In the winter of 2004, my mother became deathly ill, and was hospitalized for over a month. During that difficult time, as I visited my mom each day, I saw how much care the nurses provided for her each day.

I saw how much time they spent bedside. I saw them jump into action when my mom flatlined twice. I saw the nurses know her lab results by heart as they called it out to the doctors while they coded her. I saw the amount of knowledge they had acquired about each disease.

I saw how much they cared. I saw the energy that went into each shift, yet they still showed up with warm words, and warmer smiles. If you believe in “love at first sight”, that’s what I experienced. I knew, without a doubt, that I wanted to be a nurse. 

I never wavered in my decision from that day on. I began taking classes in high school and even joined healthcare clubs such as HOSA to begin to prepare me for my career journey.  By the time I graduated high school, I had enough college credits to enter college as a sophomore, and really begin my journey to becoming a registered nurse.

I knew there would be a great future ahead in beginning this career. I didn’t know exactly what unit I wanted to work in, but I knew that nursing was meant for me. 

God opened up so many doors and He provided exceedingly and abundantly with scholarships to offset the excessive tuition cost–I attended a private university, so you can only imagine the yearly cost!

The opportunity to attend my dream university and pursue my nursing career was finally here. It was my time. The journey had become. I had no idea what God had in store for me. Truly, the best was yet to come. 

To be continued…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephanie Bright is the founder of Christian Girls POP, an online international Women’s ministry. While attending college, Stephanie began leading Bible studies from her dorm room, which led to the birth of Christian Girls POP (CGPOP). Through CGPOP, Stephanie can reach women across the world of all ages to proclaim the Word of God in a relevant way. As a Bible teacher, she uses her life experiences to help others realize their potential by highlighting scripture in her unique way. Stephanie aspires to bring CGPOP to college campuses worldwide to guide young women into a meaningful relationship with Christ.
Stephanie also enjoys leading worship, spending time with her younger siblings, and doing puzzles in her free time.