Growing up, Brandy Perez, a surgical unit nurse at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, watched her mother thrive as home health nurse for as far back as she can remember. She always thought she would grow up to become a teacher, but life had other plans for her.
After becoming a certified nursing assistant, Brandy decided to continue to pursue her education. She attended school during the day while working at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline at night, but in her heart she wanted to be a pediatric nurse.
When Brandy’s daughter was diagnosed with an adrenal insufficiency in 2018, Brandy and her husband decided to move to San Antonio to be closer to their daughter’s physicians. Brandy applied only at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, because it was the only place she wanted to work. Luckily, it all worked out as planned.
“Every day, I get to make a difference. Whether it’s big or small, I carry those victories and moments with me,” said Brandy. “As a nurse, we take on our patients’ emotions as we care for them. I celebrate their health stories and milestones alongside them.”
Brandy craved more and decided to go back to school for her bachelors of science in nursing. In 2020, Brandy was awarded the Carol and Odis Peavy Scholarship. The scholarship is part of an endowment fund established to provide financial support to help nurses at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio further their education. Shortly after receiving the scholarship, Brandy was diagnosed with cervical cancer and put a pause on her education.
“It was a shock, but I knew I was in capable hands with my oncologist and support teams,” said Brandy.
Brandy’s diagnosis was caught extremely early and she ended up not needing any kind of chemo or radiation therapy. Brandy once again decided to return to school and finish what she started.
On Friday, April 29, 2022, Brandy was awarded the Carol and Odis Peavy Scholarship for a second time to help fund her education.
“I feel so thankful and blessed to have received this scholarship twice,” added Brandy. “If it wasn’t for their generosity, I wouldn’t be where I am now – just seven classes shy of graduation. It’s been a saving grace in more ways than one.”
In celebration of #NationalNursesWeek, THANK YOU, to all of the incredible and hard working nurses who work tirelessly to care for our patients and families at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and our CHRISTUS Santa Rosa adult campuses. You are healing so many lives and making an incredible difference.
CHRISTUS Children's Foundation 
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