How practical knowledge may have helped a student save her mom's life

What Kailee Perkins ’19 has learned in her studies as a nursing major quite possibly saved the life of the woman who gave her life. 

“Kailee’s mom didn’t feel well on Friday and described symptoms that concerned Kailee,” said Bill Eddins, Perkins’ golf coach and the assistant athletic director. “She urged her mother to get to the hospital where it was discovered that she had a serious blood clot in her leg. Doctors are crediting Kailee for saving her mom’s life!” 

Mrs. Kelley Perkins was transported to a Columbus hospital and spent the weekend in the ICU. She is now doing well, Kailee said. 

The senior nursing major chose her profession many years ago. 

“I decided to become a nurse after I heard my family repeatedly talking about my little cousin’s nurses,” she said. “He only lived to be a couple days old, but what those nurses did for him, as my family tells me, was absolutely incredible. If I could impact somebody’s life in that way, all the hard work will be totally worth it.” 

Her dream job is to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 

“That’s where I had to stay when I was first born, and where my little cousin stayed as well,” she said. “I love caring for children and babies!” 

Kailee also is interested in medical missions, a passion piqued by summer travel to Kenya, where she cared for orphans in Ovi Children’s Hospital. 

This weekend’s experience made Kailee extremely grateful for her Malone education. 

“Without the knowledge I have because of our nursing program, I probably wouldn’t have pushed my mom to get to a doctor right away, and she may not have been alive now because of it,” Kailee said. “All of those hard tests and hours upon hours of studying were so worth it.”