Coming from a humble background, growing up in a low-income community saturated with crime and violence. The one positive influence I had in my life was my grandmother (Big Momma). I watched my grandmother’s health deteriorate while assisting her with daily medications and treatments, not even knowing she was suffering with lung cancer. The trauma that I experienced during her last weeks, along with every other family member, is not something anyone could forget in a hurry. I can remember the life-changing moment as if it occurred yesterday, the day my life was altered. The day I lost a person, backbone, a breath, my grandmother. The day that I chose to be a difference in the lives of others I remember thinking what would make her proud of me as a young man coming from a community with faces like mine surrounded by no hope, drive, or ambition. I now had to become my own drive, and positive influence now that she was gone. It took me a while finding my purpose but I was determined to defeat the stereotype and odds that were already set against me from birth.
Losing my grandmother sooner than anticipated fueled my drive to provide quality care, which is where I eventually found the respiratory therapy program which I graduated in 2011. Becoming a respiratory therapist, I was afforded the opportunity to enhance my skills in teamwork, verbal communication, critical thinking, compassion, and overall patient care. My service at multiple facilities in the Atlanta metro area exposed me and allowed me to work with a very diverse group of talented healthcare professionals, all contributing to delivering the best possible medical care for each patient. I felt honored to provide leadership when needed within my area of expertise and team support in times where respiratory care was not the critical factor.
While working as a respiratory therapist for a little over 13 years in all critical areas and now at the frontlines of a pandemic, my motivation for continuing my education and seeking a career as an anesthesia assistant was even clearer. Advancing within the healthcare arena is rooted in my passion for learning, with admiration for the skill set for the anesthesia assistant profession while focusing on delivering exceptional patient care. Being accepted in the anesthesia assistant program will allow me to further develop my knowledge of patient physiology, pharmacology, and airway management, while taking on a more active role in managing a patient’s anesthetic state during surgery, being offered a deeper level of involvement in critical care situations and a potentially more advanced career path within the healthcare field. Essentially, leveraging my existing respiratory expertise to contribute more directly to a patient’s anesthetic care. Transitioning from a respiratory therapist to a anesthesia assistant being a direct impact to patient care during surgery by ensuring safe and effective anesthesia delivery, working collaboratively with anesthesiologists as a vital member of the surgical team, offering a unique blend of clinical responsibility and procedural involvement is definitely a passion of mine. Now working in one of the largest trauma centers in the southeast region, besides some of the top healthcare professionals in the nation, has given me a new appreciation for life that I hope to share with my patients and community. With my love of learning and helping others and the skillset I will gain from the anesthesia assistant program, I am confident that I will have the tools needed to become a valued member of the anesthesia assistant team.