From Cancer Survivor to Healing Hero: A Nurse Practitioner’s Journey of Resilience
In the heartwarming and inspiring tale of Katie DeGrace's life, adversity served as the catalyst for a call to nursing. From the depths of stage 4 ovarian cancer at just 10 years old, to the pinnacle of success as a board-certified family nurse practitioner (FNP-BC), her story is nothing short of miraculous.
Rewind to 2006, a year etched in Katie’s memory as the beginning of a battle against a menacing foe – stage 4 ovarian cancer. Armed with a spirit of resilience and surrounded by the care of nurses and doctors at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, located just minutes away from the University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN), Katie faced surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy with unwavering courage. And against all odds, victory was hers just one year later at the tender age of 11. She was cancer free and ready to embrace life.
It was not just survival that defined Katie’s journey; it was the profound impact of the incredible nurses who became her pillars of strength during her darkest hours. Their compassionate care and endless support left a lasting mark on her soul, sparking a flame of inspiration that would shape her purpose.
“That’s what inspired me to become a nurse,” she said. “I can think of so many amazing nurses that helped me in my cancer journey, like Colin Thomas, a fellow UMSN nursing graduate, and other incredible individuals that made a lasting impact on me even 17 years later.”
In 2018, her undergraduate nursing journey began at UMSN, the obvious choice for a born and raised Michigander. “I learned a great deal during my schooling, and I can’t say enough about the extensive clinical and sim lab experience,” she said. “Nothing quite prepares you for the millions of different possibilities when you're actually out in the world of nursing, but having this experience under my belt made a huge difference in my confidence and skill level when I was starting out.”
As a student, Katie had the honor of working with the pediatric surgeon who saved her life in 2006 – Ronald Hirschl, MD, who remembered Katie after all those years.
“I remember how energetic she was as my patient and that carried on through her UMSN journey,” Dr. Hirschl reminisced. “Her story is nothing short of remarkable. That she went through something as traumatic as this, but instead of submitting to her circumstances, she channeled it into a mission to help others,” he added.
Katie reflected, “I believe this is a testament that anyone in the health care field can relate to – our patients change us. Sometimes it's in the smallest ways, but every patient we encounter leaves their mark on you.”
Driven by her experiences as a patient as well as a deep-seated desire to pay it forward, Katie not only earned her BSN, but also received her Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner Master of Science in Nursing degree from UMSN in 2022.
“Nursing is just as much about your intelligence as it is about your heart. So many men and women find themselves called to nursing for any number of reasons but many of them are called because of their hearts,” Katie said. “UMSN is truly the leader and best when it comes to nursing and health care in the U.S. I am so proud to tell people I attended UMSN and know the excellence and hard work that it represents.”
Since graduating from UMSN, Katie’s journey has taken her from bedside nursing in Michigan to Alberta, Canada, where she currently serves as a board-certified family nurse practitioner and medical director at a successful cosmetic dermatology practice.
