Photo by The Photography Shoppe
Celebrating the Beauty of Life Molly Kuehl Finds Her Greatest Rewards Helping Others Retain their Dignity and Grace By Margaret Pennock
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ecoming a nurse was something that Molly Kuehl had never aspired to be. In fact, she had dreamed of being a veterinarian her entire life. However after completing three years of a Biology/Animal Science double major, she realized she didn’t have the stomach for the end of life part of the job. She shares, “I looked for an “easy” way to transfer my credits to another major without spending too much more time in school. Nursing seemed like an obvious choice even though I had zero desire to be a nurse.” Nearly a decade later, Molly couldn’t imagine life as anything but a nurse. Today she holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice and serves as a Nurse Practitioner at Sanford Women’s Health, OB/GYN. In addition she has taken on the role of Chief Development Office of the JY6 Foundation, a local charity honoring Jorgen Yde who fought leukemia with dignity and grace but ultimately lost his battle at just 16. Molly notes, “Although I never met Jorgen, I am proud to uphold his legacy and contribute my time to his Foundation.
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He is proof that how you conduct yourself, no matter the length of your life, is important and impactful. He lived his life deeply and fully and his faith showed through him in everything he did. I think that this is a great reminder for our youth, and really everyone, that you don’t have to accomplish huge things while you are here. Your legacy is how people remember you. The things done in Jorgen’s honor will be impacting the world for years to come, and that is exactly how he would have wanted it.” In addition to assisting with several fundraising events annually, Molly has helped lead a very special event that Jorgen himself inspired. One of his last wishes was for his family to take his nurses out to dinner to thank them for their wonderful care. His brother Dane chose to honor all nurses with the JY6 Foundation’s Nurses Dinner. The event celebrates nurses in the greater Sioux Falls area and honors a Nurse of the Year, all while raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research.