Kate Bell always knew she wanted to be a nurse. Years earlier, she had started nursing school while raising young children, only to realize she couldn’t be the student she wanted to be and the mother she needed to be at the same time. She stepped away, raised her family, and life felt steady—until it didn’t.
When Kate’s sister became ill with cancer and passed away at just 57, something shifted. It was then that she promised herself to live with no regrets.
Kate applied to Parkview, unsure whether anyone would take a chance on her. But she was hired as a patient care technician, and from the start, she knew she was where she belonged. She loved the teamwork, the shared purpose and the daily sense that her work mattered.
Two years later, Kate’s floor manager, Christina Minser, told her about a new Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Program that Parkview had just launched. She didn’t hesitate to apply, seeing a unique opportunity to pursue her dream while continuing to work at the place she loved.
Parkview’s LPN program doesn’t just teach nursing; it wraps students in support. Participants are paid while they attend class and clinicals, and the professors are committed to their success. For Kate, the encouragement meant everything.
Then, in the middle of finals week, life tested her again.
A small pink bump on her forearm—one she’d had for years—caught the attention of her three-year-old grandson, who repeatedly asked Kate what it was. At her next doctor’s appointment, Kate asked to have it removed. The doctor didn’t expect anything serious based on how it looked, so when Kate got the call that she had a rare form of melanoma that often goes undiscovered until it’s too late, she was devastated.
Kate was alone at home when she shared the news with one of her LPN Program professors, Katie Edwards, who kindly stayed on the phone—talking, listening, reassuring—making sure Kate wasn’t left alone with her fear. That moment became emblematic of what Kate had found at Parkview: people who saw her with a human view—not just as a student or co-worker, but as a whole person.
Two other nursing faculty members in the LPN Program quickly jumped in to help Kate navigate the situation. Renee Hammond helped her secure intermittent medical leave so she wouldn’t have to leave the program, and Suzanne Sell helped connect her with the right surgeon. Within days, Kate had an appointment. The speed terrified her, until she met Dr. Guy Crevecouer, the plastic surgeon who would ultimately save her life.
He was calm, honest and compassionate. Dr. Crevecouer never minimized the diagnosis, but he also never let fear take over. He encouraged Kate to focus on her schooling while he focused on removing the cancer. He accommodated her schedule by moving up the surgery date so it wouldn’t interfere with clinicals.
When Kate and her husband arrived on the day of her surgery, they were both scared. They held hands to say a prayer in the pre-operating room, and Dr. Crevecouer walked in. Without hesitation, he held hands with Kate and her husband and prayed with them like family. After a three‑hour procedure that started in the afternoon, Dr. Crevecouer stayed well into the evening so he could be there when Kate woke.
The results brought relief: clean margins, clear lymph nodes and a clean PET scan. Healing would take time, but the cancer was gone.
Returning to clinicals, Kate found herself caring for patients with the very diagnosis that once terrified her. Now, she leans into that fear, using her own experience to offer reassurance, understanding and hope. As she prepares to graduate and return to her floor where she’ll be the first licensed practical nurse from the program, Kate is extremely grateful to Dr. Crevecouer and everyone at Parkview for giving her a second chance at her calling.
Thank you, Kate, for sharing your story of perseverance in achieving your lifelong dream of becoming a nurse! We admire you for turning your fears into strength and compassion to benefit those around you. We are lucky to have you on our team at Parkview.
