To support nurses in need, Elysia King, ’16, founded Rad Nurse. The organization raises a community of financial and emotional support through storytelling and art.
To support nurses in need, Elysia King, ’16, founded Rad Nurse. The organization raises a community of financial and emotional support through storytelling and art.
While working in the emergency department at St. Luke’s Hospital, Elysia King, ’16, met a nurse whose 20-month-old son had just been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The diagnosis meant long-term chemotherapy, hospital stays, blood transfusions and endless doctor visits were on the horizon.
The nurse, Lesley McKeever, who graduated from Maryville in 2011, had little paid time off available. She had recently returned from maternity leave, and spent the last several months taking off intermittently to care for her sick son, whose symptoms included recurring high fevers. She was forced to make the difficult decision to quit her job so she could be with her son fulltime.
“I saw Lesley struggling and realized nurses don’t have enough resources,” King said. “Lesley held people’s hands when their world was falling apart. But when she faced the unthinkable, there was no one to take up for her. I believe one day when we face a crisis, we’re going to need a nurse like Lesley to hold our hands. I knew I needed to find a way to take care of the people who take care of us.”
Inspired by McKeever’s story, and countless others she had encountered in her nursing career, King began Rad Nurse. The organization identifies nurses in need and raises a community of financial and emotional support to ensure they can avoid burnout, get back on their feet and return to providing exceptional patient care.
The first step? Sharing McKeever’s story. The two recorded an intimate video interview and posted it to social media. The video was quickly shared dozens of times, with nearly $1,000 raised over a few days to help pay for McKeever’s mortgage and utilities. Without a steady paycheck and mounting medical bills, the family home was close to foreclosure.
But Rad Nurse wasn’t created to serve as just a glorified GoFundMe page. “I wanted to help alleviate the emotional burden, too,” King said.
The next step was creating an exclusive design honoring McKeever that would be sold on apparel and accessories. King hand- drew a tiger, the words “Fight On” and a gold ribbon, the international awareness symbol for childhood cancer. Friends, family and supporters proudly wore the design to show their support for McKeever, with 50% of proceeds benefiting the family.
King also organized a postcard campaign where anyone who couldn’t give financially could share words of encouragement and prayers. The postcards were mailed to McKeever so she could read and re-read them on hard days.
“I was always looking for more support,” McKeever said. “Having a child with cancer is very lonely. Even though you have close friends and family supporting you, it’s difficult for others to understand what you’re going through.”
Today, McKeever’s son is five years old and enjoys playing video games, eating chicken fingers and taking ice skating lessons (so he can play hockey one day). His last chemotherapy treatment was over a year ago. Rad Nurse has helped McKeever heal and rebuild her life.
“That’s why I think Rad Nurse is a fantastic idea,” she said. “I wholeheartedly believe this is a great mission. I’ll do whatever it takes to continue spreading the word.”
Rad Nurse recently identified its third nurse in need, with the goal to sponsor a nurse every three months. Plans also include rallying volunteers to help provide meals, house cleaning, babysitting and more for the nurses in need. The Rad Nurse board of directors, which includes Robyn Massey, ’12, MSN, clinical assistant professor of nursing, is helping make King’s vision a reality.
“Ultimately, I want to radically change the health care field,” King said. “Lesley’s story is not the only one I want to tell. I want to build a mindset that you have to take care of your nurses if you want them to take care of you. Nurses give and give, but you can’t pour from an empty cup.”