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Today's Featured Biography

MARINA RIFE NELSON

GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AND BEGAN COLLEGE AT TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE FOR MY ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN NURSING, RN. MY PARENTS COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR MY EDUCATION, SO I PAID FOR MY OWN EDUCATION, WORKING FOR A HOSPITAL PHARMACY. I WANTED TO BE A NURSE AND HELP OTHERS; I DESIRED TO SPECIALIZE IN PEDIATRICS AND NEWBORNS/DELIVERIES!
I MARRIED WHILE I WAS TAKING MY PREREQUISITES AT TCC, AND THEN I HAD THE ADDED(AND MUCH APPRECIATED) ASSISTANCE EMOTIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY FROM MY BEST FRIEND JOHNNY, MY HUSBAND! AFTER I WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE NURSING PROGRAM AND BEGAN MY CLINICALS, WE FOUND OUT THAT I WAS PREGNANT. BEING NERVOUS, BUT EXCITED, WE PREPARED TO INVITE A NEW BABY TO OUR HOME(BUILT HOME IN MANSFIELD, TX). BUSY WITH SCHOOL MYSELF, AND MY HUSBAND WORKING TOWARDS HIS EDUCATION, WE WENT TO THE DOCTOR FOR PREGNANCY CHECKUPS.
TURNING POINT IN OUR LIFE:
ON 10-01-1999, AT A ROUTINE SONO TO FIND OUT IF WE WERE HAVING A BOY OR A GIRL, WE GOT THE WORST NEWS, OUR BABY WAS NOT "NORMAL". "THIS IS NOT A GOOD PREGNANCY"; "THE BABY HAS WATER ON HIS HEAD; COME TO MY OFFICE AND WE'LL TALK", SAID THE DOCTOR. JOHNNY AND I WERE CRUSHED, AND THEY WOULDN'T EVEN TELL US IF "IT" WAS A BOY OR GIRL. WE WENT TO THE OFFICE AND PROCEEDED TO BE GIVEN OUR "OPTIONS" WHICH BASICALLY WAS TO ABORT.
MY HUSBAND AND I WERE BOTH RAISED RELIGIOUSLY AND BELIEVED IN GOD, BUT WE WERE STILL FROZEN IN OUR TRACKS. DO WE ABORT AND SAVE OURSELVES FROM THE FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL BURDEN, AS WELL AS THE BABY FROM PAIN? -OR- DO WE PRAY, HAVE FAITH AND PUT IT IN GOD'S HANDS AND LOVE THIS BABY FOR WHATEVER HE OR SHE BRINGS, AND GET THE BEST DAMN MEDICAL CARE POSSIBLE?
JOHNNY AND I CHOSE LIFE. ON 01-10-2000, LAZARUS BENJAMIN NELSON WAS BORN TO US, WITH EXCELLENT APGARS(9,9) AND WEIGHING 7LBS 3.4OZ AT 36 WEEKS GESTATION; IT PHYSICALLY HURT TO CARRY MY SON BECAUSE HIS HEAD WAS LARGER THAN HIS ABDOMEN (BECAUSE OF HYDROCEPHALY)AND I HAD TO HAVE A C-SECTION. THE MEDICAL BILLS BEGAN TO POUR IN AND HAVEN'T STOPPED. LAZARUS HAD TO HAVE A VP SHUNT PLACED AT BIRTH,AND WILL ALWAYS HAVE IT, TO DRAIN THE FLUID FROM HIS BRAIN, DOWN TO BE ABSORBED BY HIS ABDOMEN, BUT HE HAS FREQUENT SURGERIES TO REVISE OR REPLACE THE SHUNT, AND WILL FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HE HAS SEVERE EPILEPSY, WHICH IS NOW CONTROLLED PRETTY WELL WITH MEDICINE, AND HE RUNS AND LAUGHS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CHILD! HE IS BEAUTIFUL; EVERY STRETCH MARK I GOT, ALL THE PAIN TO CARRY HIM, TO WATCH HIM TOLERATE ALL THE SURGERIES AND SEIZURES SO STRONGLY; IT HAS ALL BEEN WORTH IT! ALL GENETIC STUDIES SHOWED THAT LAZ'S HYDROCEPHALY WAS JUST A FLUKE, AND NOT A GENE/CHROMOSOME ANOMALY. THIS MEANS THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN IN OUR LIFETIME.
ON 03-05-2002, SAMUEL NOAH NELSON WAS BORN, WEIGHING 9LBS EVEN, AND HEALTHY; THAT MADE LAZ THE MOST PROUD BROTHER IN THE WORLD! WE ARE A COMPLETE FAMILY NOW, AND JOHNNY AND I DON'T REGRET A THING. WE CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH ISSUES FOR LAZARUS, BUT HE IS DOING BETTER THAN ANY DOCTOR COULD HAVE EXPECTED! SAMMY AND LAZ PLAY TOGETHER AND GET IN TROUBLE TOGETHER-JUST LIKE ANY OTHER BROTHERS OUT THERE!
I ATTAINED MY RN NURSING DEGREE AND HAVE BEEN IN PEDIATRICS SINCE DAY ONE AS A NURSE. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SICK KIDS DIE IN THE PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AND WATCHED A LOT OF BABIES BE BORN IN THE CHILD BIRTH CENTER; TEARS OF PAIN AND JOY. JOHNNY IS COMPLETING HIS FIRE SCIENCE DEGREE AND HAS JUST BEEN ACCEPTED, AFTER A STRENUOUS APPLICATION PROCESS OVER 9 MONTHS, AS A FIREFIGHTER! LAZARUS IS IN PRE-K AND SAM ATTENDS DAYCARE THIS FALL. HOPEFULLY THE BOYS WILL BOTH PLAY ON THE SOCCER TEAM THIS FALL!
I THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING I HAVE AND HOPE THAT MY CLASSMATES HAVE BEEN JUST AS BLESSED. THANK YOU FOR READING MY STORY.

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