Two of a mother’s greatest days are the birth of a healthy child, and in most cases Moth­er’s Day, which celebrates the experience of nurturing and sac­rifice.

For Davina Renee Scott, a student enrolled in the City Col­lege of San Francisco nursing program, May 8, 2016, was her first Mother’s Day and she was planning to stay at home with her 5-month-old daughter, Des­tiny, and study for her first final exam scheduled May 11.

Scott wanted to watch church on T.V. in her bedroom when suddenly, with baby Destiny in her arms, she fell to the ground and felt no movement in her legs and could not stand. She called 911 and was rushed by ambu­lance to the emergency room at Kaiser South San Francisco.

Davina was released from the hospital only to return every other day until a week and a half later she was finally diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis.

Transverse Myelitis is in­flammation of the spinal cord. A fatty tissue called myelin pro­tects these fibers. When myelin is damaged, the nerves have a hard time sending signals to other parts of the body, often resulting in pain, weakness, or paralysis.

(Before her fall, Davina had been having trouble walking across campus for her studies.) Unable to walk, Davina was not allowed to take the final exam she studied so hard for at City College.

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It brought tears to my eyes as I spent time with my daughter confined to a wheelchair at Kai­ser South San Francisco as she occasionally sunbathed outside to escape the hospital bed and tubes that can be depressing af­ter some time.

After two weeks with little to no movement in her legs, Da­vina was transferred to Kaiser Vallejo for four weeks of reha­bilitation and physical therapy to learn how to walk again.

”I took off from school to get healthy and better,” said Davi­na. Not knowing if she would be able to chase Destiny around the park or even stroll on the beach often crossed her mind.

With God and her church family at San Francisco Chris­tian Center and The Tree Of Life Empowerment Ministries Church in Oakland backing her up, Davina was determined to walk again and fulfill the dream she had held since the 5th grade of becoming a nurse.

She was also inspired by the nursing staff of my grandmother (her great-grandmother) Irene (Bom Bom) Luipage, who had been hospitalized at Seton Med­ical Center in Daly City. Davina at 15 years old would visit Lui­page every day after school.

“I would ask the nurses all types of questions about my great-grandmother’s medica­tions, dosage amounts and which medications would make her better,” Davina said.

While hospitalized herself, Davina noticed that some nurses didn’t bother to read her chart or realize her condition, which led her to decide to become a nurse manager. “When I become a nurse manager I want to walk the floors of all the patients to do a wellness check,” she said.

“A lot of patients feel they don’t have a voice, I want to be a voice for my patients and the nursing staff. I realized I had a lot of work to do upon release as I lay in my hospital bed,” Da­vina said.

Determined to walk again, she went from a wheelchair to a walker, a walker to a cane and finally to total independence.

“My grandparents Billie and George Scott are amazing help­ing me with Destiny, (because) being a single parent is not easy,” she said.

Davina leans on Scripture quite often, especially Mat­thew 19:26: “But Jesus looked at them and said to them ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

“With the help of my grand­parents and my Dad I learned how to walk again and started the Registered Nurse program all over again in January, 2017. With prayer, hard work and re­siliency anybody can accom­plish anything. You have to maybe readjust or realign your course, but please stay focused and never give up your dreams,” she said.

On May 24, 2019, I cried as I watched my daughter Davina Renee Scott walk across the stage graduating from City Col­lege of San Francisco’s Regis­tered Nurse program.

Davina is praying for some financial assistance to take her next steps. She needs $200.00 for the application fee and $300.00 for Registered Nurse State Exam for a total of $500. Please contact David Scott @ ramon­scott484@gmail.com or Davina Scott davinarenee0417@gmail.com for prayers or donations so she can fulfill her dreams and help others.

David Scott

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