When I was eight, I came home very ill one day from school. I was extremely lethargic, my limbs felt heavy and my eyesight blurry as I looked up at my mother. The doctor first sent me to get blood work done. The technician was friendly and warm with a lollipop ready for me after she was done. She left a lasting impression with me and I still remember her lab jacket full of stickers and buttons to distract children from the needles. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes and needles became a part of my life. Now as an adult I administer my own insulin shots and prick my finger to check my sugar levels without a second thought.

I signed up for Phlebotomy Training right out of high school. There was no doubt that I would be good at this. I was comfortable with needles obviouslyand I knew as well that I could put small children at ease before drawing their blood.