Did you always know you wanted to be a nurse?
As far as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a nurse and only wanted to work with children. It felt like my purpose. Once I graduated nursing school, I started working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and completely fell in love with working with babies and the families.
What is your favorite part of working with children?
Children have a resilient energy that is limitless, courageous and creative.
How has your work on mother-to-child HIV transmission directly affected Southern Nevada residents?
Through the Nevada Care Program from 2013-17, any HIV-positive pregnant women enrolled into our program had a baby that was not HIV-infected. We didn’t run a clinic, but a treatment-as-prevention program. If we can eliminate maternal-to-child HIV transmission, we can eventually eliminate HIV. Imagine a world where no more babies are born with HIV – that’s how we can work toward an AIDS-free generation.
In 2013, you co-founded the HealthySunrise Foundation. What is the primary focus of this nonprofit?
Our mission is to improve birth outcomes through enhanced maternal-child health programs. Our focus is to remain in the service of humanity, enhance the well-being of women and children by supporting health, orphans, pregnancy and educational (HOPE) programs.
Recently, you started the HealthySunrise Youth Leadership Program in Las Vegas. Tell us about this initiative.
I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by great mentors, such as Dr. Echezona Ezeanolue, who co-founded HealthySunrise, and Elena Ledoux who I co-founded MommyGO & MatchaGO with. Both of these inspirational individuals gave me their shoulders to stand on, provided me with sight to see further and to dream past my limitations. The SUN Initiative provides the same type of base for young generations to stand on. The HSF goal is to develop our young leaders, teach them to lead with strength, unity and nobility (SUN) across the globe for generations to come.