Leontine Wallace didn’t usually share details of her life, including drug abuse, but that hesitancy changed after a lecture by a professor who openly shared the challenges he faced in life.
Wallace, a 26-year-old Owosso senior who will graduate with a nursing degree and minor in social work, has a better perspective on life. She abused vodka at a young age because her mother had serious medical issues.
“I think I was a resilient child, but neglect and abandonment were the reasons why I didn’t feel loved or respected,” she said.
Years later, while staying with a friend at age 17, she saw a lump on her neck and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which spread to her lymph nodes. Radiation treatment removed the cancer.
She moved to Los Angeles with her boyfriend, but began using cocaine. When she stopped using drugs, the relationship with her boyfriend ended. She knew she made the right decision upon learning that she was pregnant. Undeterred to gain a new start, she left Southern California for Michigan, staying with her aunt.
“At this point, life really wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” she said.
Three months after her daughter, Avita, was born, a friend encouraged her to seek a nursing career. She attended Mott Community College in Flint and later enrolled in the School of Nursing.
Raising a child on a tight budget while in college was tough, but Wallace persevered. She will graduate in May and has a bright future with her fiance. They will move to Oregon and marry in August. She plans to open a home health care business.
In addition, her cancer has been in remission for eight years. More importantly, Wallace is two years sober.
“I am happy that I have been able to heal and, in doing so, help others in their own journey of healing. Because of my experiences, I can be a good nurse to anyone,” she said.
