Born at 28 weeks, she spent 154 days in the NICU after being diagnosed with a significant brain bleed. While she developed into a bright, fully functioning toddler, her body struggled to keep up.
“I didn’t take my first steps until I was two and a half,” Vanessa said.
That delay led to a referral to Shriners Children’s in 1998 when she was 2. There, she was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy affecting her lower extremities.
Her care journey began immediately with the motion analysis lab, botulinum toxin injections, serial casting and ankle-foot orthotics.
Vanessa’s path involved three major surgeries at Shriners Children’s, each a profound milestone.
The first, on October 27, 2004, was an 11-hour procedure involving bilateral femoral osteotomies and lengthening of her right hamstring and Achilles tendon.
“I celebrate that date every year with my family,” said Vanessa. “It was my first major surgery. I remember waking up in so much pain, seeing the cloud tiles on the ceiling, and being in a cast from the waist down.”
She spent Halloween in the hospital that year, trick-or-treating through the units – a bright memory during a challenging recovery. Two more surgeries followed at ages 11 and 17 to rotate her tibias, fuse her right ankle, and remove hardware, each requiring her to relearn how to walk.
Through it all, the consistent, familiar care made Shriners Children’s feel like a second home.
“I know that hospital like the back of my hand,” she said. “Walking in, everyone knew me and my mom. It felt like family.”
Her surgeons, Jon Davids, M.D., emeritus assistant chief of orthopedics, and Deborah Boakes, M.D., were central to that trust.
“Once, Dr. Davids asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I’d take his job one day as a pediatric surgeon,” Vanessa said.
The road to walking was paved with determination, expertly guided by her care team and her mother, who never let her become reliant on her wheelchair. After her first cast was removed at age eight, physical therapist Jessica set a clear, challenging goal.
“She told me we were going to walk right then,” Vanessa said. “I was so mad because it was painful. But looking back, I’m so thankful they pushed me. Without them and my mom, I wouldn’t be able to walk today.”
Jessica taught her the practical skills—how to climb stairs, catch herself from a fall—and the mantra of “heel toe” that she carries through life. More importantly, she modeled a profound level of empathy.
It was this experience that pushed Vanessa to her current career: becoming a NICU nurse.
“That care made me a better nurse,” Vanessa said. “I treat my patients with the same compassion and empathy I received.”
Shriners Children’s made me feel happy even when I felt sorry for myself. It is one of a kind, and it totally made me the nurse I am today.
Despite the difficulties, Vanessa holds some of her best childhood memories from Shriners Children’s – swimming in the therapy pool, playing basketball with a visiting Sacramento Kings player and the overwhelming sense of support.
“Shriners Children’s made me feel happy even when I felt sorry for myself,” she said. “It is one of a kind, and it totally made me the nurse I am today.”
That nursing path was intentional. Though she once dreamed of being a surgeon, she realized nurses are the backbone of the hospital, providing the crucial face-to-face support for families. She and her now-wife moved to Arizona for nursing school, navigating their education through the COVID-19 pandemic, where Vanessa gained frontline experience as a certified nursing assistant in a COVID unit.
Today, she has achieved her dream job: working as a NICU nurse at a top-level hospital in the Pacific Northwest, caring for the most premature infants.
“I chose the NICU because prematurity is a top risk factor for developing a disability like CP,” Vanessa said. “Having been a NICU baby myself, and hearing what my mom went through as a single parent, I wanted to provide the same support and compassion for my patients that UC Davis and Shriners gave us.”
For her, the work is deeply personal and preventative.
“Reading my own old medical records, I see how far NICU medicine has come. Now, we’re on the frontline protecting these preemie babies. It’s a privilege and an honor.”
Vanessa now walks unassisted through 12-hour shifts on her feet. Soon, she and her wife plan to move back to Sacramento to be near family and start their own.
Her story is one of incredible full-circle moments – from the NICU to a Shriners Children’s Northern California patient to a NICU nurse protecting the next generation. It’s a journey defined by resilience, specialized care and a powerful desire to give back.
“Even though it was difficult, I have some of the best childhood memories at Shriners Children’s,” Vanessa said. “The support I felt there didn’t just help me walk. It showed me how to walk through life with purpose.”
