The story below shares how the St. Anthony Health Foundation Nurse Family Partnership has supported those in the community and help them improve their personal and family situations.

When I first met Carmen she was beaming and very excited about the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program. Carmen was 24 weeks pregnant and living with her Grandmother, after her husband had left – and she was receiving little support from family or friends.

I remember my first visit with Carmen. She was scared, surrounded by negativity, and was nervous to raise her child alone. The Nurse-Family Partnership program provides nurses with the tools to support clients like Carmen, by working on confidence, goals toward self-sufficiency, and health promotion.

Carmen soaked up all the information I could provide, quickly becoming confident in her ability as a new mother and developing a strong attachment to her now 17-month-old son. With support, Carmen has been determined to improve her life – even while going through an abusive relationship – in order to provide for herself and her son.

Carmen is currently living independently and working full time as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Carmen has shown strong resiliency and works hard every day to ensure that her son has the best future possible.

As a nurse with NFP, it is an honor to become part of Carmen's life and to watch her self-confidence grow. She will graduate soon from NFP – on her son's second birthday – with the knowledge and skills to continue to move forward with her dreams – and with the ability to give her son the nurturing environment she always imagined.

Allison Wilder, RN Home Visitor
St. Anthony Nurse-Family Partnership

* Photos courtesy of James Chance - Chance Multimedia