Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College is filled with incredible, passionate students that inspire the world around them. Becoming a nurse is no easy feat. Between demanding academic schedules and intensive subject matter, Goldfarb students are hardworking and committed to their goals— providing leading-edge compassionate care to patients and their families.
But, life can be unpredictable, and sometimes Goldfarb students face devastating emergency situations that have the potential of disrupting their education. Michael Ward, vice dean for student a_airs and diversity, sees firsthand the toll these events can take on students.
“The Emergency Compassion Fund exists to provide financial assistance to nursing students who encounter emergencies or crisis situations that impact their ability to complete their education,” Dr. Ward says. “That’s why the Emergency Compassion Fund is critical to students’ success.”
One student in particular, Mariah, knows exactly how vital the Emergency Compassion Fund can be. Mariah and her family have dealt with many events that no one plans for. She lost her home to a fire and dealt with multiple unexpected family deaths, all while pursuing her nursing education.
However, nothing compares to the phone call that Mariah received one November day. “I never expected to hear that my sweet, nine-year-old stepson had been shot in the chest during a hunting accident,” she says. “My whole world was shook. Such an emotional and financial burden on our young family was too much to bear alone.”
Thankfully, the Emergency Compassion Fund was there to help Mariah and her family pay the medical expenses, so she could continue her schooling without the additional financial stress of emergency medical bills. Now, her stepson is expected to make a complete recovery, and Mariah shares that life after nursing school is very promising.
“ Your generosity altered our path in a positive direction,” she says. “When we were in need, you extended financial support and for that I will always be thankful.”
Mariah, now employed as a sta. nurse on a medical-surgical unit at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, is using her experience to better care for patients with heart wrenching stories of their own.
“I didn’t realize that the things that would ultimately prepare me to care for my patients would never make it onto my résumé,” she says. “Things like love and loss, having the world turned upside down but putting your scrubs on anyway, and witnessing the warmth of human care and compassion that comes from generous donors like you.”