‘You’re Never Too Old, The Mountain Is Never Too High’: Teacher Becomes Nurse After Son’s Diagnosis

Kelly Hardy was a teacher, and while she loved her job, it was life’s challenges that propelled her into her purpose. 

“When I say I taught middle school they’re like middle school of all the grades, but I loved it,” said OU nursing student Kelly Hardy. 

Life was good for the wife and mother of three, when they noticed some problems with their son Chapman. 

“Nobody knew anything about it, and so I started going down the rabbit hole of staying up at night, reading these research articles,” said Hardy. 

Chapman was diagnosed with Gardner fibroma, an extremely rare condition in children, that is expected to get worse around puberty. In his first of many surgeries, doctors removed a tumor from the back of his head. 

“Along the way when he would have his surgeries and procedures, the doctors were awesome, but it was the nurses that really influenced his care,” said Hardy.  

Kelly’s life was changed through the nurses that cared for her son. 

“I thought, what am I doing? The best way to do this is to learn to do it myself,” said Hardy. 

She applied to OU’s college of nursing and was accepted.  

“When I showed up for nursing school for orientation, I sat next to one of my sixth graders,” said Hardy.  

Chapman’s condition, however, is hereditary.  

“And they were like hold on a minute, he has these things going on, let's test her,” said Hardy. 

What doctors discovered was not good. 

“You need a double mastectomy, and I started getting highly monitored myself,” said Hardy.  

Her first surgery was in April and with nursing school set to begin in August. 

“Doctors said, you’ll be ready, you just can’t lift anything. So, I actually started my first few months of nursing school. I couldn't lift ten pounds,” said Hardy.  

With the support of her family, teachers and classmates, Hardy fought to complete nursing school while taking care of her son and herself. 

“I ended up having to have five surgeries throughout the two years of nursing school myself,” said Hardy. 

On Tuesday May 9, she will graduate from OU’s college of nursing.  

“You’re never too old, the mountain is never too high, when you put your mind to something,” said Hardy. Hardy says this was by far one of the toughest things she’s ever had to do, but even with the challenges, she said it was all worth it. 

She wants to pay it forward for the nurses that took such great care of her and her family.