Kentucky Floods and a Galen Alum’s Heroic Response   

When Galen College of Nursing alum Makale Fox received a call that the rising floodwaters were stranding one of her patients, she didn’t hesitate. Without a second thought, she boarded a rescue boat with the Jackson County Rescue Squad. This was during the Kentucky floods, and she set out into the swift-moving current, determined to reach the patient. 

Makale, a 26-year-old nurse with Hospice Care Plus, is no stranger to rising to the occasion. As a mother, wife, and lifelong caregiver at heart, she felt a strong calling to nursing from an early age. Watching her beloved Papaw go through cancer treatment during high school introduced her to hospice care. The nurses who helped her family left a lasting impact. “They were truly like angels walking on earth,” she says. “They were my saving grace during one of the most difficult times in my life.” 

That early experience planted the seed. That early experience planted the seed. But Makale didn’t fully feel the calling until a patient in nursing school looked her in the eyes and told her she was exactly the nurse he needed. “That’s the day I knew it was meant to be,” she recalls.

When she realized her hospice patient could not leave their home without being in danger, Fox didn’t stop to weigh the threat. “It wasn’t really a question or something that was up for debate,” she says. “It was my duty as their nurse.” The situation was precarious with swift-moving water, drifting tree limbs, and a long, strange route to navigate. But Makale leaned into the trust she had in the local rescue team and her own commitment to care. 

On the other side of the Kentucky floods rescue was an elderly woman, her arms outstretched in relief, grateful for the help she and her husband had so desperately needed. Makale and the team worked together to carry the patient outside, across the water, and into the care of Jackson County EMS. 

“The appreciation the families give you, the feeling you get knowing you were the one who helped—it’s why I do this,” Makale says. “In hospice care, we have the honor of showing compassion to people who are bearing so much pain. Sometimes we’re the only light in their life.” 

At Galen College of Nursing, we believe in preparing nurses not just with knowledge and clinical expertise, but with a deep foundation in compassionate care. Makale embodies that belief. Her courage, quick thinking, and unwavering empathy are a testament to the heart of nursing. And to the incredible strength nurses bring to their communities every day. 

Makale’s story has earned headlines across Kentucky and the nation. And the public has sent their heartfelt thanks, but for her, it was never about the recognition. “I didn’t do it for the thank you’s or the publicity. I did it because my patient needed me,” she says. 

Her message for future nurses is simple: care deeply, trust your training, lean on your team, and never forget that behind every chart and case file is someone’s family. “You may not always feel ready,” she says, “but when the time comes, you will know what to do. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t meant to be here.” 

We’re proud to count Makale Fox among our Galen alumni. Her story is more than a moment of heroism. It’s a reminder of what it means to answer the call to care.