In honor of the 2nd anniversary of my business, I’d like to share more about myself & my 20+ year journey within the healthcare space.
My name is Anjanette, many know me as AJ.
I grew up in Brooklyn, lived in a home that was nestled (I love that word) in the heart of Doctor’s Row. Doctor’s Row was a nickname for an area in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, where physicians practiced medicine & raised their families in the same space, their home. My grandfather was a physician, which came with perks on perks. While my friends ran home to do homework, I ran home to play medical assistant to my granddad. Saturday morning cereal was skipped to rummage through his physician’s bag. I grew up loving medicine, in its purest form existed the opportunity for connection & building genuine relationships. Since granddaddy was a physician for our community, I got to know our neighbors & their families very well.
With my granddad, I wasn’t a child. I was included in the conversations he had with his patients & other doctors; my input was actually sought after. In his office, I learned about pregnancy, reproductive health & holistic care. I met these magical beings called midwives. I sat at their feet as a kid, listening to their endless stories about birth & mothering. I just knew I was going to grow up and be a magical midwife, serving my children hors d’oeuvres in 6-inch stilettos by day & catching babies beneath the moon by night.
But life took a different turn. My granddad became ill & eventually bed bound. After school, I would help with getting dinner ready, cleaning, and feeding. I grew scared of going home, many evenings were spent in the hospital. Eventually, my granddad passed away. I almost instantly felt my dreams leaving with him. His was the first death I witnessed. Without his encouragement, I didn’t feel I had what it took to be a care provider. The way my grades were set up, midwifery was not in my future.
So, I headed to college, partied like my tuition was free & graduated by the skin of my teeth. I still didn’t believe in myself. I walked into motherhood not believing in myself. I met financial rock bottom, had days where I was grateful to even have one meal. But in the background, I was being guided back to where I started. Medicine. I landed a job working with nurses & all that love came rushing right back to me. My nurturing little soul finally found its path. I found myself returning to college to become a registered nurse. This time, there was no partying, I had babies that were depending on me.
Nursing school mopped the entire floor with me. I was a mom of 2 children (one who was only months old), left a full-time job to complete my degree, I became a single mom when I officially became a student nurse. Despite everything, I’d do it all over again. Nursing is everything to me.