#HumansOfScottAFB: Capt. Mary Rivera [Image 22 of 22]

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, UNITED STATES

05.10.2019

Photo by Senior Airman Tara Stetler 

375th Air Mobility Wing

“I became a nurse because I like taking care of people, I like talking to people, and since I was little we’ve always had grandparents live with us. My great-grandmother, who was in her late 90s at the time, lived with us when I was very young and then my grandparents, who were both diabetic, lived with us from the time I was nine. So I kind of learned insulin care, diabetic care, and even medicine management when I was very little. It was always very rewarding for me to spend time with them and care for them when they needed it. I was really close to my grandparents. They were high school sweethearts, so they were just this really cute couple. My grandfather was really stubborn, and my grandmother was probably one of the sweetest people you’d ever meet.

I remember listening to my grandfather tell stories. You live a long life, you have a lot of good stories. They used to have a beach house in New Jersey on the shore in Wildwood. We’d take them up there in the summers, and I’d take care of them there. I’d just sit out and look at the waves and listen to my grandfather tell stories, and my grandmother would be inside trying to sneak cookies she wasn’t supposed to have. So especially when I take care of diabetic patients, I can relate to them because that was the first type of patient I cared for.”

- Capt. Mary Rivera, 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron flight nurse

#HumansOfScottAFB is an ongoing photo series featuring the stories of people who work, live, and volunteer at Scott Air Force Base.

• Date Taken: 05.10.2019
• Date Posted: 09.16.2019 16:46
• Photo ID: 5754661
• VIRIN: 190510-F-VX890-1001
• Resolution: 960x723
• Size: 103.02 KB
• Location: SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, US