KENNEWICK, Wash. – One mother with a son who has a rare heart condition says after numerous hospital stays and interactions with nurses, she decided she wanted to help.
Maribel Tapia is taking care of her son Hector, who has a heart condition and is going to nursing school at Columbia Basin College.
Hector’s heart condition is rare– Hector wasn’t born with a pulmonary valve–on top of that, Hector was born prematurely. He has grown up in hospitals, from Sacred Heart in Spokane to Stanford University, for numerous open-heart surgeries. During these hospital stays, she and Hector received care from the nurses. Tapia got inspired to become a nurse herself.
“They guided me,” said Tapia. “They would always tell me you’re his mom. You’re the one who’s known him since he’s been born. You make sure you speak up if something might not be right.”
After everything, Tapia saw nurses taking care of her son. She decided she wanted to be a nurse herself. She said after talking with doctors caring for Hector, they even told her you should consider nursing.
Hector had one wish: to go to Hawaii. After a friend from nursing school suggested Make a Wish, Tapia spoke to Hector’s doctors. Those doctors put her in touch with Make a Wish Alaska and Washington. Make a Wish wanted to make sure Hector got his wish.
His favorite part of the trip was playing in the ocean. Tapia said that after seeing what Make a Wish did for Hector, she signed up to be a volunteer. She wanted to become a volunteer to help other kids who need a wish granted. She said the organization needs volunteers, especially bilingual ones.
“I want to make sure my community knows that the disparity within Make a Wish kids that don’t speak the language,” she said. “We can help. We can make their wishes come true.”
Tapia said after all the trauma and adverse experiences her son went through, knowing there is an organization out there that can help kids forget about everything is a big help.
Tapia said she’s already become a volunteer, and once she’s done with nursing school, she will start making wishes come true for kids like her son.
