Kristal Nemeroff is a Registered Nurse and Certified School Nurse whose career is rooted in resilience and advocacy. Born in 1988 with Osteogenesis Imperfecta type IV, she spent her childhood undergoing frequent fractures, surgeries, and medical research participation; experiences that inspired her commitment to compassionate care and a career in Nursing. Kristal became an RN in 2011 and earned her school nurse certification in 2015. She now serves at a private school for students with disabilities, where she supports children facing adversity and challenges. A patient turned professional, Kristal is known for her empathy, leadership, and dedication to inclusive care. She is also an advocate, educator, musician, and mother.

“Why did you choose a career in Nursing?”

You learn a thing or two growing up immersed in the medical field, and that was very much my experience. I already knew a lot about nursing, but the number one reason I wanted to be a nurse was because of wonderful nurses I had met on my journey with OI. Sometimes, it is the smallest act of kindness on your very worst day that makes the biggest difference.

“What is it like being a nurse with OI?”

Being a nurse with OI, or a nurse with any disability, comes with extra challenges. Finding my place in nursing was certainly one challenge. Nursing is such a broad profession, and there are so many things you can do with a nursing degree. School Nursing was never something I thought about as a career. I accepted a temporary substitute school nursing job for a nurse who was taking leave for cardiac surgery. After my first week of being a substitute school nurse, I knew I had found my place in nursing. Another significant challenge was the ableism and discrimination I occasionally experienced from others in my field. I take pride in demonstrating that health care professionals with disabilities are necessary for culturally competent care, improving quality of care, and reflecting a diverse workforce.

As a school nurse, a Kindergartener came walking into the nurse’s office holding her lower arm in her hand. It was obviously fractured. She looked at me through tears and cried, “THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!” I replied, “Yes I know it is, and now it’s going to get better because I know exactly how to help” as I quickly opened a splint kit and splinted her arm.

Students see me using a wheelchair or walker, and sometimes they ask about it. I am always happy to share my story with them. I know every student has their own set of challenges, and there is strength and hope in seeing their role models also deal with challenges.

“What do you say to your students when they ask about your disability?”

When I have the opportunity to talk to my students about disability, I like to tell them the story of the lion and the mouse,
“A Lion asleep in his lair was woken up by a mouse running over his face. Losing his temper, he seized it with his paw and was about to kill it. The mouse, terrified, piteously asked the lion to spare his life. “Please let me go” it cried, “and one day I will repay you for your kindness.” The idea of so insignificant a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the lion so much that he laughed aloud, and good humoredly let it go. But the mouse’s chance came, after all.

One day the lion got entangled in a net which had been spread for game by some hunters. The mouse heard and recognized the lion’s roars of anger and he ran to the spot. Without more ado, the mouse set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth, and succeeded in setting the lion free. “There! said the mouse, “you laughed at me when I promised I would repay you; but now you see, even a mouse can help a lion”.

The mouse in this story never underestimated his abilities. Even the simple act of chewing through the ropes made a difference in the lion’s life. This story is really about how the smallest person can make the biggest difference. No matter how small and insignificant you feel in this world, you can still make a difference for someone.