Since she was 7 years old, Melissa Raines has wanted to be a nurse at Children's Hospital. As she got older, she never lost sight of that goal and now it has become a reality. To Melissa, she is living her dream.
Melissa is incredibly passionate about her job, but passion isn’t the only thing that motivates her. She takes it upon herself to be an educator too – helping families live and cope with a child's illness.
"Treatment can be very hard on both the child and the family," says Melissa. "Aside from providing hands-on care, it's my job to keep families informed. Knowledge is great medicine for a concerned parent."
She currently works in the epilepsy monitoring unit treating kids who are living with epilepsy. While challenging, she feels fulfilled simply knowing that she is doing all she can to help the kids maintain a stable lifestyle. It is difficult to see children come in, but to her it is just as difficult to see them leave.
"You can't help but get attached to the wonderful children who come in and out," says Melissa. "But I guess they never really leave – they are always with me in my heart and mind."