When Finals Week Became a Medical Emergency

Finals week is already stressful, but for Paula Fairchild, a student at Galen College of Nursing, it took an unexpected and life-threatening turn.

Fairchild was sitting in her car outside Galen’s Hazard, Kentucky campus, preparing for a final exam, when her tongue and face began to swell. Unable to speak, she sent a photo to two friends in her class. When a faculty member, Brittney Sheppard, saw the image, she immediately called Fairchild.

“Get to the ER,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard rushed to find Dean Allison Boggs, who agreed that Fairchild needed to be seen by a doctor immediately.

“I said I feel OK, I think I can drive myself,” Fairchild said. “I was trying to say, let me take this test and then I’ll go. By then, my instructor went to find Dean Boggs. Both of them said to go to the hospital.”

Fairchild managed to drive the 1.5 miles to Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center, with Boggs staying on the phone the entire time. Upon arrival, Fairchild was quickly admitted and diagnosed with a severe angioedema episode.

“By then I needed epinephrine, steroids,” she said. “Soon, the meds started kicking in so I was in and out of coherence. Mentally I was fine, I just couldn’t understand why my tongue was so big and my lips were swelling.”

Despite a busy finals week, Boggs couldn’t shake the image of her student alone in the hospital. She made the decision to leave campus and head to the hospital herself.

“My heart said, ‘What if that was me over there by myself,'” Boggs said. “She’s more than an hour away from home, she’s over there and can’t breathe. I got so torn up over that and tore my heart so bad. I said I’m leaving.”

At the hospital, Boggs not only visited Fairchild but also spoke with the ER doctor, whom she knew professionally. She also called Fairchild’s daughter, who is a Galen graduate, to ensure Fairchild had loved ones with her.

Fairchild admitted her biggest worry at the time wasn’t her health, but missing her exam. Boggs reassured her that health was the priority and that she could retake the test later.

Fairchild recovered and returned a week later to take her test. She finished her Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) in the summer 2025 term and was selected by her cohort (class) to speak at graduation.

“I’m so humbled and appreciative that they made those efforts to make sure I got help and I was cared for,” Fairchild said in a letter to Galen leadership. “I felt very cared for and respected and for a situation like that, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.”

Boggs said Fairchild’s experience is a testament to the culture at the Hazard campus.

“We’ve got big heart and that shows a lot about the culture here at Hazard,” Boggs said.

Are you considering beginning your nursing journey? Galen offers several paths including our: PN/VN diploma program, Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, and 3-year Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN) program.

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