Gift of Life Success Stories
More than 30 Years of Building Better Communities One Family At A Time!
Nurse Angelica Hawkins - GOL Ambassador, Graduate, GOL Nurse-Family Partnership
For Angelica Hawkins, the support she received through Gift of Life has helped her fulfill her dreams. The Detroit, Michigan native moved to Montgomery to pursue a degree in biology/pre-health at Alabama State University. During her sophomore year in college, she discovered she was pregnant and was connected to Gift of Life’s NFP. The education and encouragement she received from her nurse Lori Gregory inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. After the birth of her son Cecil in 2011, Angelica left ASU to pursue a nursing degree at Troy University’s School of Nursing. Balancing motherhood, marriage and school wasn’t easy, but she went on to become a registered nurse. After working for a few years at Baptist Health, she enrolled at Auburn University Montgomery to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. While working in the med-surgical float pool, Angelica had the opportunity to precept several new graduate nurses and discovered her passion for teaching. After graduating from AUM in 2015, she was accepted into graduate school at Auburn University to pursue a degree in nursing education. She also enrolled in AU’s College and University Teaching Certificate Program and graduated with her master’s in nursing education in spring 2018. “Nothing is impossible with the right support, motivation and faith in God,” said Angelica. “I thank God for my time with Gift of Life. I learned how to be a great mother and have the courage to pursue my dreams.” She and her husband Ryan are the proud parents of three.
Attorney Machara McCall- Graduate, GOL Nurse-Family Partnership
Gift of Life mom Machara McCall epitomizes the trait most cultivated across all our programs- resilience. When Machara came to Gift of Life in 2017, she was a recent Alabama State University graduate who dreamed of becoming an attorney some day. She wasn’t sure how her pregnancy would impact her goals, but with the support of her Nurse Home Visitor Kristi Gay and the education and connection to resources that she received through GOL’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, she mastered the skills she needed to be a great parent to her son, Christian King, while balancing work and law school. In May 2019, she celebrated two graduations: the first from Faulkner University’s Jones School of Law; and the second from GOL’s Nurse-Family Partnership. Three months later, Machara sat for the Alabama State Bar and passed! She plans to practice law in Montgomery and is currently looking for a position that will allow her to serve the community.
Ivana Terry, GOL Parents As Teachers Pike County
For Ivana Terry, the news that she was pregnant came as a big surprise, especially after having three miscarriages. She was determined to be as healthy as possible and reduce her risks for another pregnancy loss, so she reached out to Gift of Life’s Parents as Teachers Program during her third trimester and requested weekly visits with Parent Educator Melissa Spivey. At the time, she was unemployed and dependent on family members and support services for her daily needs. While in the program, she learned important lessons on prenatal care, how a baby develops and the importance of breastfeeding. She was also connected to the community resources she would need to support her in parenting. In May 2019, baby Harlem Knox made her debut weighing in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces. She was delivered at full-term. Breastfeeding with Harlem was an immediate success and during the weeks following delivery, Ivana received additional support for continued breastfeeding. Ivana attended well-baby visits and implemented safe sleep practices. She utilized what she’d learned during her lessons with her parent educator on car seat safety, tummy time and immunizations. As Harlem continued to thrive, Ivana made the decision to set some goals for herself, which included securing employment as well as continuing to breastfeed. After multiple interviews, Ivana was able to secure full-time employment with benefits! With her parent educator’s help, she was also able to secure childcare and obtain a breast pump to continue breastfeeding. Harlem is a happy, healthy baby who is achieving her developmental milestones. Both she and mom are thriving thanks to their participation in Gift of Life’s Parents as Teachers Program in Pike County.
Kayla Ramsey, Graduate, GOL Nurse-Family Partnership
Gift of Life mom Kayla Ramsey’s story of overcoming the odds to become a successful parent is exactly why Gift of Life’s work is important. Mental health is as important as the physical health of both mom and baby. Kayla has a history of anxiety-induced seizures and throughout the time she has been a participant in GOL’s Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program with Nurse Home Visitor Kathy Pounds, she’s learned not only how to become a great parent but to identify various coping mechanisms to reduce her anxiety. Through building a therapeutic relationship founded on trust, Kayla opened up more and more to Nurse Kathy about her life and the adverse experiences that have created a life of abuse and trauma. Kayla has had to cope with the memories of being abused as a child which contributes to her anxiety. She has also been involved in abusive relationships with the men, causing scars that are still evident today. “Kayla has grown so much in time that I have had the privilege of being her nurse,” said Nurse Pounds. “She has joined group therapy and has begun to overcome some of these haunting memories. She has identified healthy ways to deal with stress, such as mediation and exercise. She has improved her relationships with her family members and built a stronger support system. She has learned that she is not alone and that anxiety doesn’t have to hold her in captivity,” she said. Kayla also benefited from the other resources provided through her NFP program, such as the Goal Mama app, which helped her identify her strengths and develop and accomplish goals. She has made amazing progress and her self-confidence has grown. She is a caring attentive mom to her daughter, Sidney and is a true example of resiliency. She continues to use various resources such as counseling and group therapy to deal with her anxiety. She has truly learned that being as proactive about her mental health as her physical health pays off. She has learned to recognize when she is beginning to become anxious and deal with the anxiety as it starts. She has made so much progress throughout the time she has been involved with GOL’s NFP and is looking for ways to continue to grow and give back to her community!