10/08/2026
Last Saturday, I laced up my shoes at National Harbor, Maryland, and joined hundreds of hearts beating for one purpose: the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer. 🎗️
As I walked, I thought about the children who should be running freely on playgrounds but are instead fighting battles in hospital beds. Their courage humbles me. Their smiles, even on the hardest days, remind me why I chose a life of caring for others.
My nursing journey began in Cameroon, and over more than two decades I have seen how illness can shake a family to its core. I have also seen how hope, compassion, and access to care can change everything. St. Jude embodies that hope: no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.
Every step we took was a promise to those children: You are not alone. We see you. We are fighting with you.
To everyone who walked, ran, donated, volunteered, or cheered from the sidelines, thank you. You turned a Saturday morning into a lifeline. đź’›
The finish line is not the end. The race continues until no child dies in the dawn of life. If you can, please join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Every dollar fuels research, treatment, and hope.
With gratitude and purpose,
Dr. Richard A. Nkwetta, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC