Cars honking, people talking, music playing are all sounds we hear each day without giving them a second thought. But for those who are hard of hearing, those everyday sounds may be difficult to hear or not heard at all. That’s the reality for Heidi Christensen, a graduate of Galen College of Nursing’s Sarasota campus.

Christensen was born and raised in Germany before immigrating to the United States in 1998. As a baby, she contracted chickenpox, which she says left scar tissue in her ear.

“The scar tissue in my ear has taken more of my hearing over the years, but it’s also taught me to listen differently, to pay closer attention, and to never let a challenge decide my future,” said Christensen.

While living in Germany, Christensen attended a school for the deaf, where she dreamed of becoming a nurse. However, her hearing loss would prevent her from pursuing that career in her home country.

Just after moving to the United States in 1998, she gave birth to her daughter, who was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital heart defect. At just seven days old, her daughter underwent open-heart surgery, leaving Christensen to navigate an unfamiliar healthcare system while speaking little English.

“I was in a hospital for four months, and I didn’t speak any English. I was completely alone,” Christensen recalled.

As she adjusted to life in a new country, Christensen continued to hold on to her dream of becoming a nurse. However, turning that dream into reality proved more difficult than she imagined.

For nearly 18 years, Christensen navigated the immigration process, delaying her plans to pursue nursing. Once she was able to continue her education, she faced another setback. Her previous education in Germany could not be transferred to the United States, meaning she would have to start over.

“I had to start from scratch,” Christensen said. “I had to start with my GED here. I had to get an English diploma in a community college, so instead of what it takes other people two years to finish, it took me three.”

After finishing community college, Christensen visited Galen’s Sarasota campus with a friend. It was there that she found an opportunity to pursue the career she had dreamed of for decades.

With English being her third language and hearing loss making classroom discussions difficult to follow, Christensen often found herself putting in twice the effort to keep up with her coursework. Along with a nearly two-hour commute to campus, she recorded lectures and reviewed them at home to ensure she understood the material.

“It’s hard having a language barrier. Then you have a classroom full of people, 20 people, talking at the same time, trying to listen to the teacher, and then still learning at the same time,” Christensen said. “So, I had to do everything double.”

Despite these challenges, Christensen found ways to adapt to the demands of nursing through technology. One of those tools is the Eko-500, a Bluetooth-enabled stethoscope, that connects to her hearing aids, allowing her to amplify sounds that would otherwise be difficult to hear. The device also connects to an app on her phone, allowing her to visualize heart rhythms and reduce background noise during patient assessments.

“With my hearing aids and the app, I can make it louder and physically even see the EKG and the heart rhythm on my phone,” Christensen said.

But technology isn’t the only thing Christensen relies on when caring for patients. Her hearing loss has also taught her to pay closer attention to facial expressions, body language and other nonverbal cues.

“I do read lips, too. That helps a lot when you’re being in medical care, because I see the person as whole,” Christensen said. “I’m not just listening to the words, I watch them.”

Throughout nursing school, Christensen also faced uncertainty surrounding her daughter’s health. Now awaiting a heart transplant, her daughter’s condition meant a medical emergency could arise at any moment, potentially forcing Christensen to put her education on hold.

Rather than focusing on everything that could stand in her way, Christensen learned to take her education one semester at a time.

“I just started with little things. Do little goals,” Christensen said. “Okay, you won, you passed the semester. Keep going, you can pass the next semester.”

After years of overcoming obstacles, Christensen’s lifelong dream finally became a reality. Just days after celebrating her 50th birthday, she completed her nursing program earning her at Galen and passed the NCLEX in October, officially becoming a registered nurse. With her daughters and grandchildren joining her to celebrate graduation, Christensen reached a milestone she once believed was out of reach.

Looking ahead, Christensen hopes to continue her education and eventually become a nurse practitioner, with aspirations of working on a transplant team in Michigan.

Now, she hopes her story inspires other nursing students facing challenges of their own. Whether it’s a disability, language barrier or personal obstacle, Christensen encourages others to speak up, ask for help and never let their circumstances determine what they can accomplish.

“It’s not a disability, it’s an ability to be different,” Christensen said.