A LIFELINE FOR OTHERS
Kierra Mitchell ’25 (Nursing) Turns Inspiration into Action Kierra Mitchell was 12 when she found herself spending more time in a hospital room than on a playground. Her younger brother Kolton, just 3 years old, had been diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare condition in which the body does not produce enough new blood cells, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which severely compromises the immune
system. Riley Hospital for Children had become their second home. On one especially good day, Mitchell sat in his room watching him laugh and play with his pediatric nurse— his energy matching that of any healthy toddler. For a brief moment, the weight of his illness lifted.
Most days weren’t like that. There were more tears than laughter, and there was no playing. But through it all, what stood out to Mitchell wasn’t just the medical treatment her brother received, it was the way the nurses cared for her entire family. They offered strength when hers was gone, comfort when it seemed like there was none. Those quiet acts of compassion didn’t fade with time. They took root. And as Mitchell grew older, they helped shape her future. Today, that same girl who once sat quietly by her brother’s bedside is pursuing a career in pediatric nursing—determined to give other families the same hope, comfort, and care that once carried her through. Mitchell sought a nursing program that would empower her to be the best pediatric nurse she could be, but also small enough
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UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
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