Jonathan decided to become a nurse after his grandfather was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He was inspired by the many great nurses that cared for his grandfather at home and inpatient. Around the time he was graduating high school he was thinking about careers to pursue. Jonathan says, “I knew I liked working with people, and most of all I liked helping. Nursing fit into those categories perfectly and that’s what led me to apply to nursing school.”
But Jonathan’s story here at Nemours Children’s Health is unique. Here’s his incredibly unique journey in his own words:
In April of 2023, I was running in the Mimosas for Marrow 5K that is hosted by a previous oncology patient and her family. At this 5K I connected with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), who added me to the national donor database.
In November, I then found out that I had matched with someone and that I may be needed to donate my stem cells soon. I did an initial work up and needed to wait until my match’s completed chemo treatment.
In April of 2024, I was contacted by NMDP and told that it was time to donate but needed me to come to Seattle to donate at their clinic. After an extensive work up, a series of shots to stimulate stem cell production, and a 6-hour flight I was in Seattle donating my stem cells through 2 large IVs. After recovering from the bone pain caused by the stem cell medicine, and the exhaustion from filtering liters of blood I was able to enjoy the beautiful city of Seattle!
After years of working as an Oncology Nurse I understood how important it was to a patient and their families to find a stem cell match. So, when this opportunity came up, it was a no brainer!
My favorite memory at Nemours so far is running the Disney half marathon in November of 2023 with some of my coworkers from 3 East and others around Nemours. Crossing that finish line and accomplishing a lifelong goal with my wonderful Nemours coworkers by my side was something I’ll never forget.
I find that my Oncology/Hematology team is very supportive in building me up to be a better nurse and person! They are always checking in to make sure my shift is going well and offering a helping hand when I need it. My team’s commitment to being lifelong learners and always refining their knowledge pushes me to become a better nurse as well. They check on my mental and physical wellbeing consistently too, I feel very supported.
I love Nemours’ commitment to provide the best environment to give and receive excellent medical care. I see daily examples of staff going out of their way to make patients forget, maybe just for a second, that they are in a hospital. Whether that be going to the healing garden, playing with child life, or just getting a visit from their favorite therapy pet, we try to make our patients as comfortable as they can be. These seemingly small things go a long way in the overall outcomes for our patients.
