From the moment someone is born, they are influenced by their surroundings. Perhaps the most substantial of these influences are the people they come into contact with; teachers, friends, strangers, co-workers and most importantly, family. My mother drew me to the medical field and my love and fascination of childbirth has led me to focus on becoming a labor and delivery nurse. When I was four my mom became a licensed practical nurse. I remember attending her graduation and knew that she gave people medicine and helped them. My mom inspired my father to also become a nurse, and shortly after her graduation he began his studies. I could never imagine at that age that I would follow their footsteps in my adult years. After my dad graduated, both of my parents worked in a children's nursing home in Wabash. They worked doubles every weekend so my brother and I would usually stay with our grandparents. Sometimes my mom would let me stay home and ride to work with her. I would go in for shift change and ride back home with my dad. It was during this time that I met and befriended many of the patients. My parents taught me what the different machines and devices were used for. At seven I knew what a trach and g-tube were for. This was not general knowledge for someone as young as I was, but learning about all of the devices fascinated me and I was eager to learn more. After several years both of my parents switched from working in a facility to home health care. This meant they would go to a client's house to care for them. Often times the kids would come to our house and stay for the weekend. This allowed me to observe and and sometimes help with the everyday medical needs of the kids. In doing this, I learned a lot about life and the struggles these families faced in caring for a special needs child. Being enveloped in the treatment and care of the patients gave me the knowledge needed in the care of my own children when they become