RSS
 todd wetherington | daily Herald Friends and family members of local nurses light candles in their honor outside of the Jo Story Senior Center Friday during the annual Light-A-Candle ceremony. |
Each candle is placed in a bag bearing a nurse’s name and displayed in front of the senior center, the former home of the Roanoke Rapids School of Nursing.
While the candles act as a reminder of those who served in the past, they are also a vital link to the future. The money collected from the sale of the candles goes toward scholarships for nursing students. It is also used to send nursing delegates from District 17 to the North Carolina Nurse’s State Convention.
This year, District 17 dedicated the ceremony to Margaret Nixon, a registered nurse who is a lifetime member of the North Carolina Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association.
Nixon, who served for many years as the treasurer of District 17, was named one of the Great 100 Nurses in North Carolina in 1992. She retired from Halifax Regional Medical Center in 1994.
Resplendent in her white nurses uniform and cap, Nixon stood before the small but emotional crowd Friday and thanked everyone in attendance for the honor.
As the sunlight faded and the glow of the candles grew more prominent behind her, Nixon accepted an appreciation plaque from District 17 President Mary Davis. “I’m truly thankful for all the good times me and Mrs. Nixon have had together,” stated Davis. “If we ever needed guidance we could ask ourselves “What would Mrs. Nixon do?”
Davis went on to praise Nixon’s hard work and dedication, stating the honor was in recognition of “not only what she gave to the patients, but also what she gave to the profession of nursing. She was a mentor to us all.”
Accepting the plaque, Nixon said a few words about the profession she dedicated her life to. “I loved every minute of nursing,” she said. “When things go wrong you must not quit. Things have changed a lot, but the love of nursing has not.”
“It feels wonderful, this is a beautiful sight,” she said, gazing out into the mass of nearly 2,000 candles.
Following the presentation, Davis spoke about the importance of the scholarship program. “It’s very important for this area. With the state of health care and the economy being what it is, we have to make sure the patients are taken care of.”
Attending the ceremony were Nixon’s daughters, Linda Erwin and Joyce Smith. Smith made the decision to follow in her mother’s footsteps, though somewhat reluctantly. “I told my husband there was no way I’d ever be a nurse,” she said with a laugh. Smith said her mother was known by nearly every employee at HRMC and always had a kind word for everyone.
Smith added her mother was revered by her patients and fellow nurses. “It took five people to replace her when she left. Everyday someone comes in and asks me about her. They say it’s not the same without her.”
Erwin remembered her mother taking care of her during a difficult pregnancy. “I was very afraid. She came out and got me out of the emergency room, put me in a wheelchair and got me into a bed. She sat in there with me and bathed my face and arms in cold water. I think about that all the time.”
According to Smith, her mother’s work went far beyond her hospital duties. “She always supported the nursing school. She wrote alumni and got them to donate money for scholarships. She worked for her profession all the time.”
Walking slowly across the grounds, reading the names in black marker written across the candle-lit bags, retired nurse Elizabeth Brantley said she came out simply to pay tribute to old friends. “I’ve lost a lot of really great people I used to work with every day. This is a wonderful way to remember the contributions they made. Hopefully, the scholarships will help new students make a difference also. They’ve got some big shoes to fill.”
Comments