Aeolian 2018

Page 38

F a m i ly T r a d i t i o n s t o r y |

The Chosen Path of a

Caregiving

family Following the Path of Our Mother

BY Sunni Zemblowski

ost people fear that they will grow up to become their parents. However, this was, and is, not the case for Derrick and Mitchell Easom. For them, following the path of their mother, the path of a nurse, has always been a dream and aspiration. And the path their mother, Dr. Leisa Easom, has taken is one of great caring, ambition, and hope. Over the past four decades, Leisa Easom has devoted her life to nursing, caring for others, and educating future caregivers. Leisa earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Valdosta State University before going to the Medical College of Georgia for her PhD. After spending eight years working for a hospital, Leisa pursued her interest in becoming an educator. When she moved to Americus with her husband in the late 1980s, she applied for a teaching position in the School of Nursing at Georgia Southwestern. Since that time, Leisa has occupied a variety of roles, including her eight years as the executive director of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) and her most recent appointment as the associate dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at GSW and the lead developer of a new four-year degree, the Bachelor of Science in Long-Term Care Management (LTCM). Leisa’s work as a caregiver and educator followed her home, where it left a lasting impression on her children. Leisa reflected on how they may have been impacted by her occupation: “They have always had a ‘nurse’ in

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Sharing the same career with my mother and brother has made our bond even stronger. — Derrick


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