When leukemia patients at the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center receive care from April Perkins, R.N., they may notice the look in her eyes—a look of complete understanding of how important it is to fight and win against the disease.

April never had leukemia but her eldest daughter, Kristen, now 9, fought a three-year battle with the disease starting in 2001.

As Kristen struggled through almost daily chemotherapy treatments at UK’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington, April was her full-time caregiver and chauffeur. As a result, April lost her job as a certified nursing assistant, along with her health insurance benefits. Her pursuit of a nursing degree at Morehead State University was put on indefinite hold.

“After Kristen was diagnosed, I had so many nurses tell me they knew exactly what I was going through, and it made me mad because they didn’t really know,” April says. “But I’ll be a nurse that does know. I can relate.”

Left with only April’s husband’s income to draw upon, the family’s finances were stretched to the limit. After Kristen’s leukemia went into remission in 2005, April looked to resume her nursing studies. The financial support she received from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program made that possible, ensuring that she didn’t lose the opportunity to become a nurse and provide her unique level of understanding to the cancer patients under her care.

April graduated from MSU in May, receiving an award as the “Outstanding Nursing Graduate” from Morehead’s St. Claire Regional Medical Center where she did her clinical rotations. She began working at UK’s Markey Cancer Center in June.

Looking back, April says the WIA came along at just the right time to help keep her on track toward achieving her lifelong dream of becoming a registered nurse.

“Nursing school is expensive,” April says. “You’ve got all of the hidden costs for uniforms and equipment on top of gas mileage, and your bills don’t stop coming just because you’re in school.

“I don’t think I could have done it without the WIA,” she says.

Although April received other assistance that helped cover her tuition, WIA supportive services covered the gas and food expenses related to her college experience. April had to contend with a daily 70-mile round-trip from her home in rural Morgan County to campus and back. The WIA support kept her from having to further postpone her education due to the costs that accompany such a long commute.

“It’s almost impossible go to nursing school, do clinicals, lectures and homework, and work, too,” April says. “I couldn’t work, and the WIA helping me with gas, any type of uniforms and shoes I needed, and some equipment really made a big difference.”

Sidney Castle was April’s WIA career adviser at Gateway Community Service Organization (Gateway CSO) in West Liberty. Gateway CSO delivers WIA programs Morgan and Menifee counties under contract with the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). The Gateway CSO office is also an access point for the JobSight network, a collaborative partnership of workforce and training agencies administered by EKCEP.

“Sometimes she was even driving that trip six days per week, and that gets real expensive real fast,” Sidney says. “But WIA helped April with her expenses, and that helped her achieve her goals. When we do that, this program does exactly what it’s designed and built for.”

April said experiencing Kristen’s illness drove her to complete her nursing studies and become a registered nurse. In fact, it continues to drive her to achieve further career goals, like eventually transferring from the Markey Cancer Center to the Children’s Hospital so she can care for children who are battling cancer like Kristen did.

April says another goal is work in UK’s cancer research efforts and clinical trials.

“Nobody knows for sure what causes cancer, but they can link things to come up with possibilities,” she says, “and I’d like to be a part of that.”

Kristen, who now looks as vibrant and healthy as any other 9-year-old, says she had a personal goal that helped motivate her mother to finish nursing school.

“Dirt bike,” Kristen giggles, eliciting a smile from her younger sister, Kacey, 7. “She had to get through school so she can get us a dirt bike.”

WIA’s assistance in her family’s healing and her upward career climb cannot be underestimated, April says.

“I think the WIA is a wonderful program, and so many people benefit from it,” April says. “You’re not just a number, and they get to know you on a personal level. They truly care about their participants, and that really helps.”