From Survival to Service: Compassionate Care Led an Aurora Student to Galen

For Aurora campus student Corey Halstead, the path to nursing didn’t begin in a classroom. It began in a hospital room during one of the most challenging seasons of his life.

On April 8, 2024, Corey survived a devastating car fire that destroyed his vehicle and left him with severe burn injuries covering more than 50 percent of his body. Survival, however, was only the beginning. What followed was a long, painful, and ongoing recovery marked by multiple surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, and daily physical and emotional challenges.

“The road to recovery hasn’t been easy,” Corey shared. “Since the fire, I’ve had to balance healing, pain, mental health, and rebuilding my life one step at a time.”

During his hospitalization, Corey experienced care that went beyond clinical treatment. As a patient at HCA HealthONE Swedish Burn and Reconstructive Center in Englewood, Colorado, he encountered nurses and providers who delivered exceptional care grounded in professionalism, compassion, and humanity.

“The nurses who cared for me didn’t just treat my wounds,” Corey said. “They helped restore my dignity and gave me hope during my darkest days.”

That experience became a turning point. As Corey continued healing, he began searching for a different purpose. What emerged was a calling to become the kind of nurse who had once helped him feel seen, supported, and respected during his most vulnerable moments.

When Corey began exploring nursing programs, Galen College of Nursing stood out immediately. Learning that Galen is part of the HCA Healthcare family made the decision deeply personal.

“Choosing Galen felt like a full-circle moment,” Corey explained. “I knew I wanted to be educated within the same healthcare system that supported me during one of the hardest times of my life. That connection affirmed I was on the right path.”

Corey was also drawn to Galen’s strong emphasis on compassion and patient-centered care. Those values closely mirrored the care he had received as a patient.

Corey began the inaugural Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Galen’s Aurora campus in July 2025, bringing with him a powerful perspective shaped by lived experience. Balancing nursing school with recovery has been challenging, but he credits the Galen community for helping him persevere.

“From the very beginning, I’ve felt genuinely supported by Galen faculty,” Corey shared. “Their understanding and willingness to work with me as I balanced recovery and school has meant more than I can express. That level of care reinforced that I chose the right school and the right community.”

Corey’s impact extends beyond his coursework. As a mental health advocate and burn survivor, he created a Burn Survivor Support Line — a real-time WhatsApp group connecting burn survivors who are seeking understanding, connection, and peer support from those who truly get it.

He has also started an organization called the Healing Home Group, which aims to provide transitional housing and support for burn survivors and their families following hospital discharge. Corey appeared on KKTV11 last July to share their mission.

“My journey isn’t just about becoming a nurse,” Corey said. “It’s about giving back — using my story to help others rise through theirs.”

Today, Corey is building the skills and confidence to become the kind of nurse who sees the whole person, just as his own nurses once did for him. By choosing Galen, he found a place where healing could transform into purpose, and where compassion is not only taught, but lived.