Page 41 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2024 - Online Magazine

SENIOR 2 SENIOR

After graduating, Jenkins started working as an RN in healthcare field and the lives of her patients. I admire her
the ICU and recovery room. During this time, she had for choosing to enter the workforce again after retiring
two children, Kim and Chris. An ICU doctor offered her and glad she chose to come back to Lubbock after all these
a position at his clinic, which she held for three years. years. She has dedicated her life to helping others, and I
After her husband graduated in 1980, they both became hope to carry on her legacy.
pharmaceutical representatives. She then went back to
school and earned her bachelor's in nursing at West
Texas University and continued studying for her
masters, which she earned in 1994, all while being an
educator to other pediatric nurses. Along with this,
she worked as a nurse for victims of sexual assault and
helped collect forensic evidence to convict assailants.
After working as a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiner), she began the challenging task of planning
and opening units in various hospitals. At Saint
Anthony's in Amarillo, she opened units for family
practice, pediatrics, gynecology, and mother and baby.
When Saint Anthony’s and High Plains Baptist hospitals
merged, she opened neonatal and pediatric ICU units
before moving to the Dallas area in 2001.

While in Dallas, Debbie returned to being a pediatric
educator. Five years later, I was born in Lubbock as her
third grandchild. She flew straight here and stayed with
my family for my first few days of life. For the next eight
years, I would travel to Dallas to visit my grandparents,
and the memories I made stick with me today. She
would take me shopping for dolls and to dinosaur
museums. We would go to yoga with her friend and
make cardboard castles in her dining room. After
thirteen years in Dallas, Debbie and Larry temporarily
retired to travel in their RV. They both love this beautiful
country and wanted to see as much as they could.

After a couple of years of that lifestyle, Debbie and Larry
moved to Lubbock to be closer to me as I finished my
final years of high school. Debbie went back to work at
Covenant Children’s Hospital, first as a prenatal nurse
educator, then as a labor and delivery nurse. She takes
care of mothers and their newborn babies, making sure
all their needs are met with hospitality and kindness.
While Debbie has been in Lubbock, we have grown so
much closer. Now that she’s only a few miles away, we
regularly go to All About Cha for sushi and connect
with each other over our similar interests. I love hearing
about her work at the hospital and telling her about my
volunteer work at Refuge Services. While she has always
been very active in my life, it’s been special to have her
nearby.

Nurses have a huge impact on the health of their
patients, and Debbie is no exception. I’m proud of the
many contributions my grandmother has made to the

Lubbock Senior Link 41