April Garrigan, DNP at the hooding ceremony.In the weeks leading up to the 2019 Doctor of Nursing Practice Hooding Ceremony at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, April Garrigan suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a brain aneurysm and was unable to attend the ceremony. On April 25, after beating all recovery odds, Garrigan was finally hooded at the spring DNP Hooding Ceremony.
“Attending the DNP Hooding ceremony six years later is surreal and a tangible reminder of how far I’ve come,” Garrigan said. “I am so thankful for my friends, family, co-workers and professors who came alongside me in such a difficult time.”
A journey of resilience
After earning her Master of Science in Nursing degree in 2013, Garrigan was motivated by Terri Poe, DNP, associate professor and chief nursing officer at UAB Hospital, to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. Garrigan applied, got accepted and successfully balanced her work schedule with her school responsibilities.
“Juggling work and school was difficult; but once I learned how to manage my schedule, it was doable,” Garrigan said. “I remember I had a color-coded calendar that I absolutely lived by, but support from faculty and my clinical mentors at the hospital truly made all the difference.”
As the time to graduate came closer, Garrigan’s excitement grew. However, in the weeks leading up to graduation, Garrigan started experiencing terrible headaches.
On the day after her 38th birthday, the headaches grew so intense that she was unable to drive to work. She lay down to rest and woke up to her friend and co-worker Somali Nguyen, DNP, assistant professor, coming to check on her. Garrigan had been uncharacteristically unresponsive, and Nguyen found her unconscious on the living room floor.
Garrigan was rushed by ambulance to the UAB Emergency Department, where she underwent surgery. During surgery, Garrigan had a stroke that paralyzed her right side. In the aftermath of the aneurysm, she was in a coma for over two months and was hospitalized for a total of six months.
Garrigan is now the clinical director at a men’s clinic in Pelham, Alabama. While she was grateful to be alive and released from the hospital, the early days of her recovery were especially challenging.
“When I first got home, I lived with family and was super depressed because I struggled to find purpose in my recovery,” Garrigan said. “I have been extremely busy my whole life with work, and I was in school for the last two years. After being released from the hospital, I had to stay in bed all the time. I only left my house to go to physical therapy.”
Since those early days of recovery, Garrigan has come far. She moved back to her own house and eased back into working. Today, she is the clinical director at a men’s clinic in Pelham, Alabama.
Nguyen, who watched Garrigan throughout her recovery journey, says her tenacity and strength have encouraged her entire community.
“Watching April persevere through her recovery was both heart-wrenching and incredibly inspiring,” Nguyen said. “There were moments of uncertainty and fear, but her unwavering determination and positive attitude were truly remarkable. Seeing her tackle each challenge head-on, from the initial surgeries to the long rehabilitation process, was a testament to her inner strength.”
Through the years, Garrigan’s friends at UAB Hospital and the School of Nursing persistently encouraged her to attend a DNP Hooding Ceremony. This year, she agreed and was finally recognized at the spring ceremony. It was a full-circle moment for Garrigan, and according to Nguyen, it represented how far she has come since 2019.
“Walking across that stage is about receiving a degree. It is a powerful symbol of April’s resilience, determination and the triumph of the human spirit,” Nguyen said. “After everything she has been through, from the aneurysm and stroke to the long recovery, participating in the ceremony is a moment for all of us to celebrate her achievements and perseverance.”