Nurses week - "A message from Grandma"

Ashley Bleazard was still a recent college graduate when she started rethinking her degree in Communications. The work lacked the sense of purpose Ashley needed and her new career left her feeling unsatisfied — until one phone call changed everything.

“I was very close with my grandma,” Ashley said. “During one of our calls, I learned a large tumor was found in her gastrointestinal system.”

Ashley’s grandma quickly became very sick and required a lot of care.?The cancer was aggressive and didn’t leave many viable treatment options. Ashley dropped everything to be there for her grandmother, caring for her and making her as comfortable as possible.

Before Ashley’s grandma passed, only a month and a half after her diagnosis, she took Ashley’s hand and said: “You would be a great nurse.”

Ashley took her grandmother’s words to heart and thought about the medical staff that helped them through this difficult time.

“I was inspired by the care team who worked with my grandma, especially when they'd take the time to know her and my family,” Ashley said. “My grandma couldn’t fight, but I knew then, I wanted to help others fight.”

A calling to care

Ashley applied to nursing school and, while on the waitlist, worked as a patient care technician in a local hospital. Here, despite difficulties, she received an incredible confirmation that she was finally on the right path.

“During my first night shift, I was helping an older, confused, somewhat combative woman. She required near-constant attention for most of my shift. At one point, I wondered if I had made a mistake, going into nursing.” Ashley said. “When I got the woman settled in bed, she lightly touched my cheek and said, ‘You were very special to someone, weren’t you?’”

Ashley was hesitant, but she replied, ‘yes.’ Shockingly, the woman asked: “’Was it your grandma?’”

With tears in her eyes, Ashley told her it was.

“The woman looked at me and said, ‘she is very proud of you,” Ashley recalled. It was in that moment I felt God was reinforcing my decision, and I never looked back.”

Now, a nurse

"Today, Ashley is an oncology nurse at the USMD Arlington Oncology and Infusion Center in Arlington, Texas, part of Optum Health. She keeps her grandma’s memory alive and what she learned during the short, but difficult time of her treatment.

“I make sure I take the time to get to know my patients,” Ashley said. “Through the process of getting to know the patients and their families, I often learn things that will help make the challenging treatment process a little easier.”

?When people learn that Ashley is a nurse, they often comment about how hard her job is, but she disagrees.

“I get to work with some of the best people — and patients who have often been dealt a tough hand and learned what really matters in life. I am inspired by them every day.” Ashley said. “At USMD, we provide value-based, comprehensive care to each and every patient. Though my grandma has passed, I feel she lives on in me and has inspired me to help others through my work at Optum. It is truly a blessing.”