Nurse has a heart for special needs children

Vanessa Nelson, 37, returned to college to study business and earn her RN degree.

“I’ve been a licensed practical nurse (LVN in Texas) for 13 years. Since 2008 I’ve been doing pediatric nursing, mostly private duty working with critically ill kids. While doing that, I fell in love with one of my patients who was 5 years old and in foster care. I decided to become a foster mom and adopted her.

“Right after that, I found out I was pregnant. God blessed me when he said, OK, if you’re going to adopt one, I’m going to give you another special gift. So I went from two to four daughters within a year.

“Having worked with special needs children and then becoming a mom of one, it’s given me a better understanding of the struggles that families go through. It’s a big adjustment.

“Sometimes on off days, I would take my oldest and middle daughters to hospitals or nursing homes to let them meet patients I worked with. I started them early in learning that there are more people out there than just me and you, and that they face challenges and need help. My girls have always been very caring. Now I think their hearts are actually bigger than mine, because they actively seek to help other people.”

— Vanessa Nelson