Fighter, Nurse & Warm Spirit - Shelbie Graham

Throughout my life I have encountered many people from many different walks of life that I have felt the need to share with others, but I had not yet had the platform to do so. As soon as I started planning out my vision for this blog, Shelbie was one of the first people I put on my short list to interview. Shelbie Graham is a woman who I have gotten the opportunity to watch at a distance beat one of the toughest obstacles a person could face and flourish immensely as a result of it. To know someone who has had to fight through so much is truly an incredible and eye opening experience for myself, as well as, the others who surround her. Whether the battle is small or large, Shelbie's perseverance and overall positive energy are traits that everyone should look up to and learn from.

Fighter

"Don't you dare give up," was the first sentence when I asked about what she would tell another person who has been diagnosed with Leukemia. As a child, Shelbie went through chemotherapy treatments for Leukemia and as a result lost her hair, some friends and family, and gained weight. However, Shelbie was able to take all of the turmoil involved with having cancer and chose to not allow it to define her. One of the ways she was able to turn her diagnosis into an opportunity, is her time she spent at Camp Sanguinity, a childhood cancer camp through Cook Children’s. Her ability to build lifelong relationships with other children who could truly relate to the experiences she was having, is something that Shelbie finds great value in. Not only did Camp Sanguinity give her friendships to hold onto, but it even gave her a fiancé -- Kaleb,

who is a fellow survivor. The opportunity to feel normal amongst other kids who were scared and who did not feel like they fit in within their everyday lives was a big reason why Camp Sanguinity was such an outstanding experience for Shelbie. She was finally given the chance to not be seen as "sick" and was not "babied" due to her illness. Even though her fight with Leukemia is over, Shelbie still engages with Camp Sanguinity as a camp counselor where she works with kids and their siblings who are going through the battle that Shelbie has already won.

The words Shelbie wanted to offer others who are fighting are ones that I do not want to change one bit. So here they are, from the words of a fighter to encourage even more fighters: "You may have had your hair taken by the chemo, but you don’t have to let it take everything from you. Stand strong and live the life you are supposed to. Try your best to live the life of a kid or young adult because it will soon pass you by...Lastly, don’t forget to smile. It truly is the most powerful weapon you have when you have cancer because it shows everyone else you aren’t letting it beat you down. BEAT ITS BOOTY."

Nurse

Shelbie's decision to become a nurse is directly related to her experiences with Leukemia as a child. This last May, Shelbie graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX. She was able to land a wonderful position at the OU's Children Hospital as an obstetrics nurse which is one of the top ranking hospitals in Oklahoma City. Since working as an OB nurse, Shelbie has learned the hardest lesson yet -- when studying Women's Health in nursing school "they do not teach you that it is not always smiles and healthy babies." After working 12 hour shifts, Shelbie experiences a mix of emotions each time. From being on cloud 9 knowing she's made a difference in someone else's life to questioning every decision she made on her shift, Shelbie must persevere and remind herself the reasons she has chosen this life. Although Shelbie's original plan was to be an oncologist, she decided to go the route that would allow her to be an advocate for her patients when speaking with physicians, as well as, a way to remain bedside with the patients in order to take care and educate them. Something Shelbie really urges nursing students to remember is that once you are out of school and make your transition to a "real-life-nurse" there is still a lot of things you need to learn. She even talks about asking "982 questions in one shift" to her OB special care team members just to ensure she is serving her patients and her team the best she can.

Warm Spirit

Shelbie's life has not been an easy one, but meeting her and experiencing her positive attitude you would never guess the obstacles she has had to face. Throughout her interview she was sure to give encouragement to others who were going through the trials she did in a fresh way. When it comes to kids who have been diagnosed with cancer her words were powerful and she was even sure to mention the need to "remind your parents that you are okay because even though it may not look like it, they are hurting almost as much as you are because they love you and are scared." The main thing she stressed heavily about nursing school is that you don't have to ace all your classes, but you do need to "put yourself out there and LEARN the skills during clinicals" because even after getting through all of that you still have so much more to learn. Due to the hardships she has experienced, Shelbie has been able to create a tight knit relationship with her family, her fiancé, her dogs (Storie and Silo) and most importantly with God. Her ability to lean on those around her has given her the opportunity to "get through this crazy thing we call life," and flourish greatly.

Reading her trials through cancer and succeeding in becoming a nurse gave me an insight that a lot of people may have not gotten the opportunity to have, but I am hoping by this blog you are able to understand even just a small part of her triumphs and tribulations. Shelbie is a strong and intellectual woman who deserves to have her life broadcasted, not only for other cancer fighters, but to everyone. She didn't let her struggles keep her from accomplishing amazing things and from becoming a nurse anyone would be proud to have. Thank you Shelbie for giving me the chance to learn more about you and for being so open to others reading about you and your beautiful life.