Jessica Reed graduated from Christ the King Lutheran School in June, 2005. In high school, she was involved in MHEA Cheerleading, was an American Heart Association Ambassador and was a martial arts instructor’s assistant. In addition, she was an Impact Center worker at the Inner City Food Pantry and worked with Camp Challenge, a camp for the mentally challenged, as well as being a middle school camp counselor. She was part of the church youth choir, and played in the choir of the Memphis Passion Play as well as the choir of the Singing Christmas Tree. She participated in Operation Shoe Box and took mission trips to Colorado and Florida. She attends Bellevue Baptist Church and is a weekly Bible fellowship greeter there as well as a monthly church nursery worker.
Jessica was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a congenital heart defect that leaves the left side of the heart underdeveloped. She underwent four open-heart surgeries to address this defect. As a result of these operations, she developed scoliosis and ended up having a spinal fusion in 2003. She has been in hospitals in several different states and has met many “heart” families along the way. She enjoys being able to encourage them in their journeys, considering she is one of the oldest living HLHS survivors at 18 years of age.
Because of the experiences she has had with her illness, Jessica would like to become a pediatric nurse. During her hospital stays, she has encountered many different types of nurses; some who were helpful and some who were not. She hopes to become one of the nurses who helps, encourages and supports families and patients during their hospitalizations.
We at the Sydney Mae Taylor Foundation, Inc. are very excited and happy to support Jessica as she pursues her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse. She will receive our scholarship all four of her undergraduate years at Union University. Good luck, Jessica!