MIDLAND, Texas — Nurse Ariana Balderrana works at Midland Memorial Hospital- a setting she's been familiar with since she was six years old.
As a child, Ariana was there every step of the way as her sister fought for her life.
"She was actually born with a congenital heart defect, at just two months she was hospitalized and had surgery," Balderrana said.
It's something that was difficult for the young girl to witness.
"It was very hard, but it’s something that just made us stronger, but she’s taught us so much," Balderrana said. "She’s doing really well now, she’s a miracle, she’s our little blessing. She’s really my motivator as to why I’m doing this."
Being in the hospital with her sister showed Ariana what nurses do, but it was her family who motivated her to become a nurse herself.
"What really inspired me to be a nurse is my sister, that really inspired me to go into the Cardiac Unit, the Progressive Care and Critical Care Unit," said Balderrana.
"I had that caring personality and so I was always tending to my grandmother and I knew nursing was my calling."