In Retrospect: Change a Life-One Child at a Time

摘要

I [Melissa] got my start as a nurse early in life. For me, grade one was the start of my nursing career. My school year book from that grade confirms that I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up.That same year, my parents made the decision to adopt my sister who had suffered from traumatic abuse and a family history of mental illness and substance use. My parents also adopted her biological little brother. My parents demonstrated their belief that God loves and cares for children, especially those who are disadvantaged.Years later as a young adult and new nurse, I made the choice to follow in the footsteps of my parents by working in the field of child and youth mental health. When I became a graduate student, I wanted to more fully understand the history of mental health services for children and youth. My search introduced me to Josephine Kilburn, a nurse, social worker, leader, and educator in the field of children and youth mental health in the 1930s in British Columbia, Canada (Suzuki, 2013).