ATLANTA — Ever since Averie Olson was a teenager, she's wanted to become a nurse. Now, that dream is coming to fruition.
"I always knew I was like a people person, and I wanted to help in that sense," Olson said. "Whether it's bring a smile, bring a laugh, bring a giggle, or if it's something serious, I just I never question it."
This is Olson's first year as a nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. While she hasn't worked there long, Children's is a familiar place.
When Olson was a kid, she started getting severe headaches, telling 11Alive she experienced her first migraine when she was eight years old.
After lots of appointments and years later, doctors diagnosed Olson with Moyamoya disease, a rare, progressive cerebrovascular disorder caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain.
"She started having small strokes in her brain," Dr. Joshua Chern, the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Children's explained.
Under Chern, Olson had two surgeries during her junior and senior years of high school. While in the hospital bed, Olson started asking the nurses why they chose their career.
"Everybody had their own story. Everybody had a connection to Children's," Olson said. "And I was like, I want to do that."
One of the nurses ended up suggesting Olson pursue a nursing career after college. Olson did just that and asked the same Children's team that helped her to write a letter of recommendation.
Olson got accepted and later started working at Children's, alongside the same team that operated on her five years prior.
"It's just a great feeling to see someone working and happy," Chern said. "And it was her goal to work at Children's. So, I'm happy that she gets to do what she wants to do."
Olson said it was a full circle moment.
"This is right. This is what I feel like I need to do," Olson said with a smile.