Title:Reflections on Health with Jean Nelson Farley

I’ve studied, taught, or clinically practiced pediatric nursing—focused on the care of children with developmental disabilities—for 56 years at Georgetown.

My cousin was enrolled in Georgetown’s medical school and encouraged me to attend the School of Nursing, as it had a rigorous clinical and liberal arts curriculum. I took her advice and never regretted my decision.

Most importantly, I received both subtle and clear lessons introducing me to Jesuit values, especially how to be a “woman for others,” engage in lifelong learning, and be a citizen of the world.

I completed a Master of Nursing Science degree in family and child health, which included certification as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I blended my work with developmentally challenged children into the field of pediatric palliative care.

Being a clinician at heart, I then jumped at the opportunity to enroll in Georgetown’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. This was a transformative process for me, and truly enhanced my ability to practice at a higher level within the healthcare delivery system.

As an undergraduate, I forged deep and enduring friendships. After graduation, a core group of us stayed in DC. Debbie Metzger Hamer (N’72), Marjorie Toomey Quaglieri (N’72), Jeanne McDermott (N’72), Jane Milazzo (N’72), Judy Reen Proctor (N’72), and I all began positions at DC hospitals. A final roommate, Dika Quinn (L’76), attended Georgetown Law School.

We lived in Foxhall Village, where our rent was $429 a month, divided seven ways. That house still holds many happy and poignant memories for us today.

Eventually, our tightknit group scattered across the country and the world but remained in close touch. About 10 years later, we decided to meet yearly, including spouses and children. Eventually, we transitioned to meeting in our original group. We can always rely on each other— particularly as we age, when illness and bereavement become inevitable.

We started a tradition around a bracelet called Jewelia about 20 years ago. Jewelia had seven silver discs engraved with our initials and birthdates, and was interspersed with our birthstones. She traveled among the group for a period of six or seven weeks each year. If one of us was experiencing a particularly difficult time, she would be quickly mailed to that person, who could keep it for as long as needed.

Sadly, Jewelia was lost in the mail last year, but with or without Jewelia, our bonds of friendship will remain unbreakable.