Although their paths never crossed while they were students at Azusa Pacific University, Lindsay Parkinson ’15 and Jessica Brown ’20 followed a similar trajectory after graduating, one that sees them make a tremendous impact as clinical nurses in the pediatric hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplant unit at Stanford Children’s Hospital. Their stories continued to intertwine when both were contacted by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) last year. “It’s crazy to think about the odds of both of us ending up at Stanford and both of us getting the call that we matched with a patient who needed our stem cells for life saving treatments,” Brown said. Both nurses immediately said yes to the opportunity.
Originally from Pleasanton, Calif., Parkinson chose to study nursing at APU, combining her love for science and her passion for helping others. Brown lived just 15 miles down the road in Danville, and knew she wanted to become a nurse after caregiving for her grandmother who had suffered a stroke. “While I was caring for her, I heard the Lord’s voice clearly for the first time, telling me, ‘this is what I’ve made you to do,’” Brown said. At APU, Parkinson and Brown quickly fell in love with the close knit community.
Outside of spending time with friends, Parkinson and Brown began to thrive in their nursing classes and clinical rotations. Brown enjoyed the hands-on learning experiences where she felt empowered to learn in small classes. “Getting to do clinicals for seven semesters, working with real patients, and observing nurses in different specialities gave me a big appreciation for the entire career because I witnessed so much,” she said. Parkinson was grateful for the experienced faculty who truly cared for their students. “Our professors genuinely wanted us to succeed and offered support however they could,” she said. Both nurses enjoyed the faith integration in their classes, which has played a key role in their careers. “Oftentimes, doctors and nurses just think about the physical needs of their patients. We see their condition and give them medication to treat it, which is obviously important,” Brown said.
After graduating in 2015, Parkinson spent six months working as a waitress while studying for the NCLEX exam, before landing a job at Stanford. Five years later, Brown followed suit. When she didn’t pass her NCLEX exam the first time, she spent time working as an assistant in a home health setting. She later passed the NCLEX and began working at Stanford in March 2021. She was thrilled to find out she’d be working alongside another APU alumna in Parkinson.
Most of the patients Parkinson and Brown care for have various forms of cancer, autoimmune disorders, or hematologic disorders. Nearly all of their patients have received or will receive stem cell transplants. “Caring for patients with cancer and these other serious illnesses is tough. It never gets easier. Cancer is getting smarter, so people are getting sicker,” Parkinson said. “But at Stanford, we do a lot of clinical trials with new medicines being tested to fight cancer in different ways. Caring for these kids is incredibly important to all of us.” Brown echoed Parkinson’s sentiments. While many days in the hospital are taxing and sometimes the nurses have to be bearers of bad news, Brown sees the joy in her patients when they’re able to achieve remission. “The kids are so resilient and they choose to see the positivity in these little victories,” she said. “So while working with this population is very tough and takes a toll, it’s also so encouraging and has helped me to approach life differently. If there’s any way to have a positive impact in those moments in our job, it’s a blessing to do that.” The best moments for both nurses are when patients receive their stem cell transplants successfully, celebrating their “second birthday,”and the hospital throws them a discharge party. “We’ve done so many of them, and it still makes me cry every time,” Parkinson said. “Their parents are always crying because of how many tough months and years they’ve gone through, and for their kids to come out on the other side with so much hope for a healthy life, it’s a special moment.”
Administering stem cell transplants on a daily basis, Brown, Parkinson, and their coworkers talked about what it would mean to them if they were ever able to donate their stem cells to save another person’s life. So when they both got the call that they were a match for a patient in need, they didn’t hesitate. Parkinson was contacted last April; flew to LA for further testing and preparation in June; flew back in August to have a unit of her own blood drawn and stored (since she would lose a lot during her bone marrow aspiration procedure); then donated her bone marrow at City of Hope in Duarte in September. Brown got the call last June; completed further testing and preparation (including five days of filgrastim, or GCSF, injections),then flew to Seattle in late July for her peripheral blood stem cell donation (an expedited process because the patient needed the transplant as quickly as possible). Both procedures were successful and the patients received their potentially life saving donations.
After donating, Brown and Parkinson were inspired to become advocates for others to do the same. Brown reached out to NMDP and set up a booth at Stanford in September to get people to sign up for the NMDP registry, successfully getting more than 30 people. “I joined during one of my clinicals at City of Hope when I was an APU student,” she said. “Most people don’t realize how easy it is to join the registry. It’s literally just a cheek swab that you mail in. You can do it from home and it’s free for you.” Parkinson emphasized how NMDP does everything they can to make sure donors don’t have to pay anything during the process. “They covered all of my travel, hotel, and medical expenses,” she said. “They want to remove any potential barriers. If you’re willing to donate your stem cells to save someone’s life, they’ll make it happen.”
Reflecting on the whole experience, Brown is indelibly grateful for the opportunity. “Before I got the call, I was experiencing a lot of burnout at work,” she said. “Having the opportunity to give back was definitely an answer to prayer and gave me a new appreciation for what I get to do. It reminded me of the beauty in my job. Lindsay and I are so thankful to see this momentum continue. It’s really exciting to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and see the Lord working through all of it.”