My name is Wendi Alvarado.
It’s scary to open up and share things for me, but I love the Walk in My Shoes campaign and I believe in Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s mission.
When I came to North Dakota I was homeless for a time.
I am a recovering drug addict of more than 15 years. I moved to North Dakota in fall 2003. I moved from Las Vegas, where I lived most of my life. I had lived here before and knew that I had to get out of Vegas. So, after struggling with my addiction, I came here in search of a better my life for myself and my oldest child.
When I got here I had $400 to my name. And, had to figure out how to survive.
I stayed on people’s couches and my son and I lived out of a suitcase for months. I have lived a life that most people would not expect. But, I am proud of the obstacles I have faced and the way I have turned my life around.
I ended up in healthcare by accident. Desperate for a job in a small town, I ended up finding low-income housing and a job at a nursing home. A friend of mine said, “Hey you should take the Certified Nursing Assistant class.”
I did and it changed my life.
It was something I never considered and the second I started that path I knew I belonged in healthcare.
Today, I have worked in healthcare for 13 years. I always loved my job; it was something I loved doing every day. When I came to JRMC almost five years ago it was the first time I felt heard. This is first place my opinion mattered. Since the very first day, I felt like part of a team. That’s what I have loved about JRMC. Over the years I have had the opportunity to move on to different roles. Working as a unit clerk on Patient Care Unit and then on Family BirthPlace. I have worked in admissions and now accounting. There is always room to grow and new opportunities and I love that.
I have seen so many things and learned so much in the process. I became a better CNA from the many nurses that were willing to teach me and show me new things. I have stood with people who I am lucky enough to call friends. I’ve seen them do amazing things. I have watched them save lives, I have cried with some when they couldn’t. I have watched our doctors comfort each other after losing a patient. I have read from the bible to a patient in their last hours. I have held the hands of the scared and sick. I have taken care of a sick child so the mother can go home and rest. I have played Yahtzee every day for a week with a swing bed patient just so he had something to do.
I am a mother, a sister and a daughter. I am proud to work here. These are some of the things that have made me who I am.
These stories have made me a better employee and coworker.
This is just part of my story.
Read more stories.
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